


Working Girl

by thewriter



Category: Demi Lovato (Musician), JONAS RPF, Taylor Swift (Musician)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-03
Updated: 2017-10-25
Packaged: 2019-01-08 18:07:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 22,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12259434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewriter/pseuds/thewriter
Summary: When entertainment blogger Lacey Barkley, whose disabled, unexpectedly gets a job at a major entertainment magazine, her life is turned upside down. Along with her personal assistants Ellen and quirky Jasmine she goes on a worldwind adventure of dreams, to maybe find love and may be the career she's always wanted.





	1. Chapter 1

July 26, 2015  
The Death of Bobbi Kristina Brown-A Few Thoughts  
I'll be honest, I was never a humongous fan of Whitney Houston. I only heard her songs on the TV show Glee, but who wasn't heartbroken to hear about the death of her only daughter.  
Much speculation still revolves around the death of Bobbi Kristina, one only has to turn on the television to know what is going on which leaves everyone including my dear readers with little information. My personal theory is this, I still think the boyfriend did it (insert comment about how this sounds like a clichéd episode of CSI) something about the circumstances is very fishy… Very fishy indeed.  
At the end of the day a 22-year-old is dead and no one knows why. All anyone can do is turn over more stones and ask more questions. I feel so underqualified to write on the subject it isn't something I'm particularly happy or passionate about, but I feel like my readers have a right to sound off on this story; let me know what you think.  
Stay tuned for more 4 1 1 on everything Hollywood. My next post will be more on Blake Shelton's recent divorce.  
xxx LB

Twenty-eight-year-old Lacey Barkley hit "Publish" on her latest blog post. Already, her mind was spinning with more ideas. She was going to write another post about Blake Shelton's divorce and another on Demi Lovato, whose dog had recently passed away. There was too much sadness in the world this week, she thought. 

She was your average type of girl, she had shoulder length curly brown hair (red in some lights if you squinted), she had pale skin, and noticeable curves, even though she was sitting down most of the time. Lacey's most notable feature was she was very short, barely 5'1; sitting down made her even shorter.

Lacey stretched and scooted to reach for her wheelchair. At the moment it was time for her to eat something, she had been in front of her computer for the better part of the morning she still had two more posts to draft before tomorrow.

Things seem to be going at a crawl this week, Lacey reflected, in every aspect. Everyone in her family was busy, which meant there was no one to help her if she needed it, even her personal assistants were busy, which did not bode well for getting anything done on time. Lacey looked around her nondescript apartment, courtesy of subsidized housing. She needed to get out of here. She loved her cozy little apartment, but what she really wanted was a house, and for that, as much as she hated the idea, she needed a job – – a real job.

Lacey headed for her kitchen, grabbing some grapes and half a sandwich she had left in the refrigerator earlier that morning. Maneuvering to one of her collapsible TV trays she sat down to eat. Right now she needed to organize her ideas; she had too much stuff buzzing around in her head to think properly, let alone write. There was too much sadness in the entertainment world at the moment her blog needed some pomp and circumstance or she was going to start losing readers.

Finishing the last of her sandwich and grabbing a couple more grapes Lacey returned to her computer. She turned her attention to her Twitter feed and scrawled through her tweets for something a little bit more upbeat.

She was scrolling past another update from the YouTuber she followed, Nina, and her husband Stephen, which said their latest video would be posted by 4:30 PM, when she saw it, a post from Joe Jonas.

Hey everybody, my friends at @NylonMag need your help. They are looking for anyone interested in contributing a weekly blog on current entertainment news. Send a sample to this link if you're interested.

Lacey, who was morosely chewing on a grape, suddenly sat up with interest. Now this was more of what she had in mind.

Curiously she clicked on the link.

The link followed to a webpage which showed a form which required you to put in your information and a sample of your writing. Pretty self-explanatory.  
At the end of the form was a section that read: "additional notes". Opening her dictation program Lacey began to write.

I run an entertainment blog where I voice my opinions and thoughts on various current events. Please know I am disabled, I use a wheelchair, have poor eyesight, and can only use one hand. I use a dictation program to write (so please be patient with any wrong words or typos). I feel like I can contribute so much to your site! I look forward to hearing from you.  
Thank you.  
Lacey Barkley

Taking a deep breath Lacey tapped the "Submit" button and watched as another screen which read "thank you for your submission" popped up. There was nothing she could do now, all she could do was wait.

Lacey glanced at the clock, it was almost 4 PM, her dad would be home from work soon, if she was lucky he would be home early.  
After perusing her Twitter for a few more minutes, her Lacey finally made the call tapping her parents home phone number from her contacts on her iPhone.

Her mother answered.

"Hello."

"Hey mom, something cool just happened. I think-I just applied for a job."


	2. Chapter 2

August 11, 2015  
What Is WRONG with Hollywood!  
I am writing this post out of sheer disgust for the headlines I have read this week! I've lost count of how many celebrity couples have filed for divorce (not that that's a surprise) I mean, unfortunately, it is Hollywood.  
What happened to morals and values and honest family living, that's not saying people aren't allowed to make mistakes (but does it have to be splattered all over who knows what website or what tabloid) I certainly don't want to hear about it.  
What is this "irreconcilable differences" anyway? Just a lame way of saying we couldn't work it out, or, we're tired of trying because something got in the way of our marriage and God isn't even a factor. Trust me, as a Christian I believe God is essential to any good marriage if He's not in it what's the point the marriage; by itself falls apart because people, by themselves are weak. That, however is just my view on things, but that's what this blog is all about isn't it.  
In all seriousness I wish the best for Ben Afflack, Jennifer Garner, Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert and Gwen Stefani etc. my heart goes out to the children involved because this, whatever happened, is not their fault.  
xxx LB

It had been a little less than a week since Lacey had sent in her submission to become a blogging correspondent for Nylon magazine and she was pleasantly surprised by the email that landed in her Inbox a few days later.

There was a distinct "ping" from her phone which meant she had a new email. As soon as she glanced at the subject heading Lacey knew it was important. Her heart caught in her throat and she hurried to open it.

The subject heading read:

In Regards to Current Job Offers: Blogging for Nylon  
Lacey opened the email. It read:  
Dear Ms. Barkley,  
Thank you for your interest in joining our team, we are constantly looking for new writers for our online media. We are always interested in different people's views and what they can add to the discussion of the current entertainment events. We believe you have an interesting viewpoint that will interest our readers and grow our online audience.  
Everyone here enjoyed your submission, as previously stated, we believe you have a unique view and interesting opinions on a wide variety of topics within the entertainment world.

In advance of your upcoming projects, we are prepared to offer you a stipend in addition to a bimonthly salary of $700 (350 per pay period) this will, as such, encompass most of your work regardless of subject or post length.  
We look forward to working with you and reading your first official post.  
Listed below is your company ID. Please use your ID to log into our website and create a personal account, from there you will create your blog.  
Please post your first post no later than August 21, 2015.  
Regards,  
Elizabeth Hurley  
Online Media Editor

Lacey reread the email twice before it began to sink in. She had a job! A real job! At the moment, however, she didn't even know what to do with herself.  
Clicking over to her writing schedule Lacey assessed what she had written the week before to see how she could fit her weekly blogging for Nylon into that schedule. For now, her personal writing would have to take a backseat, which given the figures she had been given for her starting salary she didn't mind.  
She had until Friday to submit her post and in the meantime she had to set up her account as well as draft a few posts on topics she had been thinking about.  
Clicking over to her blog she began to write.

August 12, 2015  
On a Personal Note…  
To my dear readers:  
I have a job! (I'm probably going to be saying that all week, someone pinch me). I now work for Nylon Magazine as a blogging correspondent! So if you're looking for any future posts from yours truly please head over to their website, as soon as my account is public I will put the link here.  
Be on the lookout for my first post coming sometime next week.  
xxx LB

Lacey published the post before heading over to the Nylon website and setting up her account. She had almost a week before her deadline so she had plenty of time to figure out what the subject of her first post would be.  
…


	3. Chapter 3

August 20, 2015  
A Few Words about Josh Duggar

Hello my lovely readers,  
My name is Lacey Barkley Nylon Magazine's newest online entertainment correspondent. I hope you enjoy reading my posts is much as I enjoy writing them.  
For my first post I chose a topic that has been on my heart a lot recently. The entire business with Josh Duggar has really made me sad. Yes, I believe he has to take responsibility for his actions and he made some really bad choices that affected a lot of people, but I also think the media is WAY too hard on him. The Duggar's never claimed to be perfect in any way, shape, or form, so why is the media acting like they've let so many people down for something they never claimed to be. That's like bashing someone you "perceive" as a role model for doing something perfectly normal that any human would do.

My heart goes out to his family as they continue to make their way through this tough time, but I think they're doing what any Christian family would do, relying on God and weathering the storm they best they can.

I also feel for his wife and their 4 children, but I also support her in her decision to stay with him; he's not perfect and I believe she knows that. Why should she be pressured to divorce him when they have 4 children to think about and there are many more things at stake aside from the fact he cheated.  
The last thing I'm going to address in this post is the website Ashley Madison. Like many people I am disgusted by the mere idea of it. Who, in their right mind encourages men to have affairs that only lead to heartbreak and sadness for so many people; not just a wife but a family and other members. Life is short, but there are bigger things to think about. That is something people should think about before tearing so many lives apart. 

There are so many people at fault here, and while I am not pointing fingers at any one particular party everyone must move forward (including the media) move on to the next thing and let this family pick up their lives and get things back in order. That, is the least anyone can do for the Duggars.  
xxxLB  
Lacey Barkley  
Nylon Online Entertainment Correspondent

Lacey read back over her post one last time before finally hitting the "Publish" button on her Nylon blog. She was pleased with her first official post, it was a topic that had been on her herds since the news had broken earlier that day. The news about the Duggars, one of the few people from reality TV she actually watched, saddened her because at heart they were legitimately honest and upfront people that had gotten royally screwed by the media because one person had made a few bad choices.

There were no winners in their case, she thought, Josh lost, Anna lost, their children lost and the entire family lost. (Their reality show being the first casualty). If people hadn't been so gung ho on digging up everything bad about Josh Duggar everything would've blown over, but then more stuff had come up and the media had to have a field day because one good person had made a horrible mistake.

Lacey felt like plastering Romans 3:23 all over every media website, if only as a reminder. Nobody's perfect! Everyone, including Lacey herself, had screwed up in some way. It was a lesson she thought the world should learn.

Her work done for the day, Lacey returned to her other writing. She worked on this for a few hours before returning to Nylon's website. Since posting her blog that morning, it had acquired a steady stream of comments.

Most of the people agreed with her (many of them had followed over her link from her old blog) but others did not spitting out the same arguments Lacey had heard a lot on the news and words like "hypocrite", "disgraced" and "Anna should seriously leave him" jumped out at her. It's not like she hadn't expected it.

Over the next few weeks, Lacey fell into a habit: post her blog for Nylon; work on her other stories. It went on like this for many weeks until she got another email from her boss.

Blogging Correspondent Needed for Taylor Swift Concert-September 2015

Attention all bloggers and other Nylon correspondents,

We need bloggers and other personnel for Taylor Swift's upcoming concert dates in September, the first of which will be in San Diego August 29.  
Any and all dates are listed below, please only pick the dates that you can only personally attend and reply. Details to follow.  
Regards,  
Elizabeth Hurley  
Online Correspondence Editor

Out of the dates listed Lacey chose three, one in Indiana and two in Ohio, all of which were close enough but not ridiculous. At least most of her expenses would be covered by the magazine. Lacey knew she had to make this work even if she had to pull a few strings, which in her case was easier said than done.

First, she had to tell her mother she was going out of town.


	4. Chapter 4

How do you expect to get there?" Her mother demanded, "You never said anything about traveling."

Lacey tried to be reasonable.

"Believe me, I'm just as surprised as you are, but I guess they want a firsthand account of the concerts to be put up on the blog later."

"Well clearly they're forgetting you're in a wheelchair." Her mother muttered. "I'm not taking you."

Lacey stopped short.

"What! Then how-?"

"You'll have to find somebody else to drag you around, and what about expenses?"

"It's business," Lacey answered quickly, "I assume the magazine is paying for everything, they're only sending out half a dozen people."

"So would someone who accompanied you have to pay for themselves?" Her mother asked; funny how she always seem to think the questions Lacey never thought to ask.

"I don't know…" Lacey murmured, "I can ask." She made a mental note to send an email to Elizabeth as soon as she got back to the house.

"Is there anyone who can drive you?" Her mother asked

"I can ask one of my personal assistants." Lacey murmured thoughtfully, "I'm sure they'd like to go." Lacey continued going over her plan, ideas already forming in her head.  
She sighed again running a hand through her tousled, curly hair.

"How much time before the first concert?" Her mother asked.

"A little over three weeks."

August 30, 2015  
VMAs: a Recap, More like "Yikes"  
Hello, my happy readers (okay, that sounded really corny, anyway moving on…)  
This post deals with one thing my run down the good, the bad, and the ugly of the VMAs.  
Here is my overall opinion, the performances were good Miley was Miley and the fashion was (insert "meh" emoji here). Don't get me wrong, I love all sorts of fashion, but half of this stuff look like a walking disaster. Miley Cyrus herself looked like a billboard for weird.

Demi Lovato, on the other hand, looked absolutely flawless! Who would've known the girl could pull off pink?  
I will try to cover everything, although some parts of this post may be biased in favor of my favorite artists… (Lacey deleted this sentence before resuming her next sentence in a new paragraph).

Nick Jonas' performance of his new single was definitely a highlight for me. I love how he got the audience involved and Kelly Osbourne busting a move was nothing short of hilarious. Another one of my favorite performances from the preshow was Walk the Moon's performance of their single "Shut up and Dance"-side note, I love that song! Did I mention Taylor Swift's new music video for "Wildest Dreams" is awesome? I may or may not still be fan girling over it, this makes me even more excited to see her in person.*Blogs on said concerts coming soon*

On the Performances:  
Nicki Manaj-her performance was okay but I could tell he was good even though I had the TV mostly muted. I really don't like her music and I can do without a lot of the excessive swearing. I really liked it when Taylor Swift got on stage with her; initially wasn't sure if this was planned or not.

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis-Again, not a big fan, but I really like Macklemore's overall style, as exhibited in his song "Same Love".

Not even going to mention the Nicki\Miley thing… I think people need to grow up, even if those people are grown adults. I mean, get over it. Sometimes I think these hip-hop\rap artists have big mouths for a reason just so they can shoot them off… What comes out of those mouths one never knows.

The Weeknd-didn't really pay much attention to the performance; I don't tend to get too involved if the lead singer tends to swear a lot. I thought the lighting was too harsh and he needs to cut his hair LOL!

Demi Lovato-I really liked her performance, it wasn't my favorite, but I still liked it. What was not to like: the confetti, the float and bringing out Iggy Azalea was inspired, she's really a good fit for Demi's sound vocally.

Justin Bieber-Overall, really enjoyed his performance and I am not generally a Bieber fan. I think he hit the nail on the head perfectly in all the right ways. He created drama and mystery when he needed it to make people pay attention to him again (this time for the right reasons) I thought his element in the performance with the harness was a unique idea and was something I hadn't seen him do before. I liked how he really connected with his fans on the catwalk; it was nice to see that again to remind people once again that he is human. Scuttlebutt on the Internet is people don't believe he actually cried for real, I, for one believe he did legitimately cry. After all he has good reason to he's been bashed by fans and media for the past 3 to 5 years and finally people are acknowledging him for his talent and not because he screwed up.*Side note: I hate watching people cry on TV, it's awkward and makes me uncomfortable*

I'm not even going to bother commenting again on Miley. I thought the majority of her outfits she wore were tacky and I can't even say enough for her "performance" I don't need a song that's mostly swear words-in short-it's garbage. I'm not saying people should take Miley seriously, take it or leave it, but I stopped respecting her music a long time ago.  
So that's the long and short of it,  
xxxLB

Lacey arrived back at her apartment in enough time to send a quick email to Elizabeth before she called one of the few people she knew that would be crazy enough to take a spontaneous road trip. The phone picked up on the second ring.

 

"Hello." Came a cheerful voice. Ellen Hollister was her Tuesdays through Saturday personal assistant, and lived 20 minutes from Lacey's house with her partner Mallory. Lacey liked her because she was a unique person; something that probably came from finding out you were a lesbian, and Lacey figured by now she just kind of rolled with life because things hadn't turned out for her the way anyone had expected.

"Hey, it's Lacey."

Ellen's tone instantly brightened.

"Hey Lace, what's up?"

"I was wondering if you and Mallory are up for a little road trip? My job kind of requires it, if work is considered attending three Taylor Swift concerts."

"You're serious right?" Her answer was immediate.

"Dead serious." Lacey confirmed. "I'm waiting to hear back from my boss right now asking if anyone I bring with me will be reimbursed by the company."

"Okay cool," Ellen replied, "let me know. I'll have to talk to Mal and will have to check our work schedules, but I think we can make it. Anything for my favorite girl."

Lacey promised she would keep her informed and hung up a few minutes later. This was turning to be easier than she had anticipated, maybe traveling and doing some work for Nylon wouldn't be as cumbersome as she had originally thought.


	5. Chapter 5

The morning of September sixteenth Lacey had to convince herself to roll out of bed and be ready (or partially ready) in twenty minutes or less and that was all before Ellen had arrived.

Ellen was her normal jovial self when she arrived despite the early hour. She was short, slightly heavyset, with curly reddish hair. Her face reminded Lacey of Santa Claus with her rosy cheeks and rosebud mouth, which was always smiling.

"How are you doing this early in the morning?" Ellen asked as she bustled around the apartment, doing her normal things she had been hired to do. On most days the personal assistants had to clock in and clock out when they started and finished. Today would be a short day since Ellen was only going to be at the house for less than half an hour.

"I'd be better if I could sleep in." Lacey muttered as she attempted to secure her curls in some resemblance of order. If she was going to interview Taylor Swift this afternoon she had to look halfway decent.

"You packed?" Ellen asked.

"Except for the toiletries and my bidet."* If there was one thing Lacey couldn't forget for a long trip it was her bidet, a hygiene system which usually attached to a toilet, but in this case it was a portable unit about the size of a soda can, which came in handy if you couldn't wipe yourself. The only drawback was water dripping down the back of your legs.

Ellen nodded absently.

"Good. Our stuff is in the car, Mal went to pick up a few more things, she should be back by the time were finished here."

"You guys are cool with my wheelchair, right? You can to have to be my manpower I'm going to be pretty busy for the next three days."

Ellen brushed her off.

"Honey, you know we are. Why, I wouldn't do this if I didn't want to, besides it's not every day I get to run interference for an up-and-coming entertainment blogger." She winked.

 

Half an hour later Ellen was lugging Lacey's suitcase and maneuvering her wheelchair out of the apartment. Just as they are making their way down the walkway, Ellen stopping short, having forgot to lock the apartment door behind her. Just then, Mallory pulled up, it was still early so most of the close spots are still vacant.

Mallory is an abrupt contrast to her partner; she was tall, slender and blonde with a fair complexion. In the bright morning sunshine Lacey can see the freckles on her nose.

"How you doing girls? Ready already?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." Ellen grunted as she hauled Lacey's suitcase into the back seat, which was already crammed with luggage. The car was a six passenger minivan with the back seats put down. This left more than enough room for a wheelchair and three suitcases. Once again, Lacey silently thanked Ellen for her ingenuity, this was what happened when you had people who foresaw to get a big enough car because they wanted kids in the future.

The car was what Lacey had expected, the front seats nearly overflowing with snacks suitable for a long road trip. On top of the piles of snacks were a series of maps from Google with the directions to venues and hotels.

Soon they were on their way, not saying much while Mallory negotiated turns from the residential streets to the freeway. Afterwards someone turned on the radio to a top 40's station and Lacey pulled out her phone for one last check at her email to make sure Elizabeth hadn't sent anymore last-minute instructions. Just to reassure herself she read over the email she had received the night before.

To All Nylon Taylor Swift 1989 Tour Correspondents

Dear correspondent,

Please arrive at the venue no later than 4 PM, Taylor will be doing press after her sound check and before her meet and greet (5:30 PM). You will each be allowed some face time with Taylor prior to her going on stage at 7 PM, but when this is depends on her crew and schedule.

Details to follow. Please keep your phones on hand for any last-minute changes.

Regards  
Elizabeth Hurley

Lacey also read over the email Elizabeth had personally send her regarding her inquiries about bringing Ellen with her and the specifications she would need in regards to doing what the magazine asked.

RE: Personal Assistant and A Few Concerns

Dear Lacey,  
I have no problem with you bringing a personal assistant if that's what you require for travel etc. as long as they don't interfere with your duties required of you. Will Please allow enough time to get to your locations prior to the start of the show. We will be meeting in the VIP lounge at the venue at 4 PM. Do not, under any circumstances, forget your press badge or you will be unable to get into the venue prior to the show.  
Regards,  
Elizabeth Hurley

This had been one of the things Lacey had been most anxious about. She had triple checked all her luggage to make sure her press badge was where she could get it. At the moment it was safely in the front section of her backpack where she could grab it once they arrived in Indiana.

She had been to the venue before, almost a year ago when Demi Lovato had toured; VIP the whole shebang (although the meet and greet had been a surprise) she was just happy everything had gone so well. What would happen with Taylor, however, would be another story.

First order of business was checking into the hotel and getting their room keys, Mallory handed the other room key to Ellen as they prepared to leave for the venue.

"You staying all night?" Mallory asked.

"Yeah." Lacey replied, "I don't have tickets to the shows in Columbus though, I think I can only handle one concert in a week. We should be back by 7 on those nights and then we can hang and do whatever."

"Okay, cool. I'll see you guys later." Then she kissed Ellen before vanishing inside the hotel

The mid-September temperatures were mild as Ellen and Lacey made their way towards the venue, which was only a few blocks from the hotel. The venue, the Bankers Fieldhouse, looked much more imposing the closer you got. Lacey was just going up the ramp to the entrance when she remembered her press badge, digging around in her bag she located said item and made her way up to the main doors, humming Katy Perry's "Roar" as she went.


	6. Chapter 6

Lacey was so focused on finding out where she was going she barely remembered Ellen was there behind her until they stopped, Ellen nearly running into her. She had only stopped to flash her press badge at a security guy who nodded and pointed in the appropriate direction.

"VIP room 4." He grunted as she made her way past him. Lacey could feel his eyes on her and knew it was the same look she got frequently because she was running around like a normal person but she just happened to be in a wheelchair.

She took the elevator down a couple of floors and asked another security person where the VIP rooms were and was pointed to a series of identical rooms down an otherwise empty hallway. All of them were closed except for the one at the end, from which, Lacey could clearly hear voices.

As she and Ellen made their way through the door Lacey took in the scene.

The room was mostly empty except for an impatient looking woman with blond hair, another girl about her age with shoulder length brown hair, and an older man in a simple pressed suit, but he didn't look as harried as the blond, whose hair was beginning to frizz and her smart -looking spectacles were sliding down her nose.

She gave Lacey a critical look as she appeared, like she was a slug on the bottom of her shoe.

Lacey glanced at her name badge it said Jessica Hawthorne.

"Oh good, you're here, finally." She glanced up at Ellen and frowned again."Who this?"

"My personal assistant." Lacey replied evenly, with more confidence than she felt, "If I need anything tonight she can help me."

Jessica waved her off.

"Fine, fine!"

Jessica glanced at her watch,

"Taylor should be done with her sound check in about fifteen minutes. From there, she will do her meet and greet, after her meet and greet I will start sending you into Taylor's dressing room one at a time. You have no more than thirty minutes each. Taylor has to be prepped to for the concert and warm-up by 6 PM." Lacey nodded. She had been to enough concerts to know most artists were on a very tight schedule, whether they wanted to be or not. Taylor Swift was no exception.

The next half-hour was a lot of waiting. Lacey noticed she and the other younger blogger had pulled out their phones, the older man, who by now she had figured out was also a blogger was drinking a cup of coffee and reading a magazine.

Finally after what seemed like an eternity, Jessica reappeared.

"We're ready for you now." She said in a no nonsense voice; she wasn't smiling. "Mr. Hollister, you first please."

Mr. Hollister rose, pocketed his magazine, and disposed of his coffee. Then he followed Jessica Hawthorne from the room and following the unceremonious "snap" of the door it fell into silence again.

After some time the other girl sitting across from Lacey spoke.

"I didn't think I'd actually be sent here, I mean-I didn't think I would actually be interviewing or documenting anything. I'm actually quite nervous to meet her."

"Just remember," Lacey said her tone friendly, "she's just a person like everyone else."

"But she's Taylor Swift!" The girl replied breathlessly. "I'm Emma, by the way," she added, "we never really got a chance to introduce ourselves."  
The two of them exchange greetings.

"Lacey Barkley, and this is my personal assistant Ellen."

Emma nodded before continuing.

"This Jessica, I think she's Taylor's manager…" Emma shook her head, "she runs a tight ship." The other blogger chuckled nervously. "She kind of scares me to be honest."  
Lacey and her companion grinned at each other before returning to their phones.

Less than half an hour later Mr. Hollister returned, and tersely shook hands with Jessica before disappearing down the hallway. Lacy didn't have time to ponder where he was going before Jessica spoke again.

"Miss Plinksey, follow me please."

Emma got up slowly and had only taken a few steps before she tripped, several notecards scattering out on the patterned carpet. By the time she got up Lacey noticed she had gone several shades paler. Stumbling, she followed after Jessica Hawthorne, who still looked irritated.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Ellen asked once the door had shut again.

Lacey shook her head.

"No, I can manage, I'll meet you back here and we can get to our seats by the time the doors open at a little after six."

Ellen grinned.

"Okay, if you say so, working girl."

Less than fifteen minutes later Emma returned. She still looked pale and shell-shocked her lips moving silently. She reminded Lacey of a petrified Chihuahua.  
Emma didn't speak much after that, she disappeared into the far corner of the room and buried her face in a book which she pulled from her bag. Clearly something had happened during the interview, but Lacey couldn't imagine what. Maybe Emma was just shy.

Lacey thought Jessica Hawthorne was going to call her right away, but she didn't, she simply shut the door and retreated and it was almost 5 minutes later before she returned.

"Miss Plinksey, please come up to the concierge lounge, the doors will open shortly you can wait up there."

"Yes ma'am!" Emma squeaked and shoving her contents back into her bag she darted from the room.

So Lacey and Ellen were left alone and another few moments passed before the door opened again. Jessica had reappeared, but there was someone else with her, from around the edge of the door Lacey saw the familiar face of Taylor Swift.

For the first time since Lacey had met her Jessica's voice softened.

"Taylor and I thought it was best if you stay in here and she comes to you."

"My dressing room is," Taylor made a face, "a bit cramped."

Behind her, Ellen was practically hyperventilating, her face had gone very pink and she was gaping like the large fish that Lacey had seen in elaborate Chinese restaurants.

"It's nice to meet you." Taylor said gently as she crouched down so she was on eye level with Lacey. Even without her 3 inch heels she still looked extremely tall.

"Are you looking forward to the show tonight?" Taylor asked.

"Yeah," Lacey replied, her face breaking into a grin, "it should be great."

"Who's your friend?" Taylor asked, "did Jessica miss someone?"

"That's my personal assistant Ellen, she helps me with stuff. Without her I probably wouldn't be here."

"Well you seem like a very sweet girl and you're lucky to have someone like Ellen to help you."

Then Taylor addressed Ellen.

"I'm glad you brought her, she's very sweet it was a pleasure to meet you both."

"You're welcome," Ellen stammered, "she's-she's a great girl. I like working for her, very creative and independent."

I'm glad you could come tonight. You going to any other shows?"

Friday and Monday, the two shows in Ohio." Lacey answered automatically.

Taylor smiled, pushing a strand of her blond hair out of her face.

"I'll see you there."

Lacey talked to Taylor for what seemed like forever, they talked about ordinary things and Taylor asked about her writing. Taylor even asked if she sang at all to which Lacey only shrugged.

"A little, not much. I write some, but nothing I would put out on the radio."

After some time Lacey could tell Jessica was getting inpatient and finally Taylor glanced at the clock.

"I have to go, I have to go get ready and I'm sure you and Ellen don't want to miss the beginning of the concert." Then she gave Lacey a longer than necessary hug, nodded at her manager and left the room.

Lacey's mind was still spinning as she made her way to their seats. Ellen seemed to be an equal state of shock. After that, everything was a normal concert experience, the running around to find her seats then sitting down and waiting for the show to begin. Lacey couldn't wait to write her blog, she had so much to share with her readers, it had truly been the opportunity of a lifetime.


	7. Chapter 7

The first thing Lacey saw the next morning when she woke up was Ellen and Mallory passed out on the other bed, which looked like it had been through a war zone. It was only after Lacey had been staring at them for several minutes Ellen cracked her eyes open.

"How long have you been staring at us?" Ellen asked.

Lacey shrugged a shoulder. "Few minutes." She mumbled.

Ellen ran a hand down her face.

"What time is it?"

Lacey squinted at the clock.

"Little after 7:30 AM." Lacey answered.

"I guess we better get going; get dressed, eat breakfast and all that if we want to be in Columbus by this afternoon." Ellen muttered throwing an arm across her eyes.

"No concert today, next concert is an until Friday." Lacey reminded her.

"Right." Ellen muttered, "No rush then. We probably should get up though if our day is going to get started." She gave her partner a sidelong glance. "I really shouldn't wake her but…"

Lacey giggled quietly, smiling to herself as Ellen began kissing her partner awake.

Half an hour later, they were all dressed and making their way down to the lobby for breakfast. The continental breakfast wouldn't have been Lacey's first choice, but unless they stopped at some fast food place out of town it was the only option she had and she still had to write her blog post of the concert last night. They were well on their way out of town before Lacey cracked open her laptop, plugged in her portable wireless connection, and began her next blog post.

September 17, 2015

Taylor Swift: Indianapolis, Indiana (9-16-15)

Last night was incredible! After some confusion about where I was supposed to go we made our way to the VIP room where the other bloggers and I would meet Taylor Swift.  
Here Lacey paused, wondering whether or not to mention the attitude of Taylor's manager. Deciding against it she continued:  
The other bloggers were pretty friendly, there was an older guy maybe my parents age and another girl a little younger than me. Without mentioning any specific details I find it interesting people so different can all end up being correspondence for the same magazine.  
We were called in to see Taylor one at a time I was the last one and to my surprise the manager brought Taylor to me! Taylor was, as you would expect very friendly. I had only heard about how nice she is to her fans and I can see why people like her. We talked about her music, the concert and my own writing. She wanted to know how someone like me had managed to be in the position I did. I laughed and said I think luck had something to do with it. Don't get me wrong I am extremely grateful to be in this position he gives me a lot of opportunities. Afterwards, Taylor left and we were escorted from the concierge lounge to the lobby with the rest of the fans.  
The concert was everything I expected and more! Taylor sure knows how to make a spectacle. I enjoyed all of her songs especially "All You Had to Do Was Stay" and "Blank Space"; I hope to be able to sing with her some time, but I think being on that big stage would be a bit overwhelming *bites nails nervously*. I love how theatrical her shows are, I think good staging makes for an excellent concert and that's something I notice even as a fan.  
Anyway, on my way to the next stop; two shows in Columbus and then it's home again home again until they call me out to my next adventure.  
More coming so stay tuned,  
xxxLB

As they zoomed along the freeway Lacey fought to with her wireless and finally she gave up bowing she would post the blog as soon as free Wi-Fi was within range. Afterwards, she turned on her music putting in her ear buds tuning everything else out.

They only stopped once for lunch and gas, (not including a few other times so various people could go to the bathroom) but they still made good time to the hotel with plenty of time to spare. The next concert wasn't until Friday so they had an entire day to themselves before Ellen and Lacey had to be anywhere. This extra day gave Lacey plenty of time to get her blog post up before Ellen suggested they go to the zoo or a museum and do some sightseeing.

Lacey agreed shoving her electronics into her backpack, which she was bringing with her there was no way she was going to let some wacko in the hotel steal them.  
Ellen, Lacey and Mallory were just as tired as they had been the day before by the time they returned to the hotel later that afternoon. They made one more stop at a nearby restaurant for dinner before turning in for the night. Lacey was more than happy to hit her pillow just then because tomorrow would be busy but she was looking forward to it. She fell asleep with a smile on her face.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of this chapter was inspired by a couple of Taylor Swift interviews I watched around the time I wrote it… Lacey's questions etc. Lacey coming up on stage with Taylor was inspired by something I saw on Ellen, and perhaps a few of my own experiences. (Although not on such a big scale.)

The second night of Lacey's concert coverage went much smoother than the first. For one, she knew where she was going, or at least had a better general idea. For another thing, Jessica was slightly more accommodating and less brusque than she had been previously, but that didn't mean she had softened any.

The other difference Lacey noticed upon entering the VIP room was the bloggers seemed slightly more normal, they weren't jittery fan girls or seasoned professionals that had been writing for years, they were simply your average Blogger. It was with these people that Lacey conversed while waiting for Jessica to shuffle people back and forth. This time, Lacey had prepared a list of questions she wanted to ask Taylor, while she still wanted to keep the conversation casual, she wanted to be slightly more prepared. It was these questions she kept glancing over while waiting for her cue from Jessica and finally about forty-five minutes later, it came.

"Ms. Barkley, your next, Taylor will be in shortly." 

Lacey nodded, and once again, nervously, reshuffled her papers.

When Taylor came in she greeted Lacey with a smile. She always reminded Lacey of a startled deer with her wide blue eyes and halo of blond hair.

"Hi, how are you?" Taylor greeted, "Nice to see you again."

Lacey grinned in spite of herself.

"Same. It's fun to do this again."

They talked for a while about the upcoming show and what Taylor expected.

"Each crowd is always different," Taylor explained, "and each show is different, but it's always fun."

Lacey smiled again, inspired by her enthusiasm.

"I can imagine."

"I love performing with my friends, but I love seeing the crowd's reaction as well."

"What's your favorite song to perform?" Lacey asked.

Taylor shrugged.

"It changes, depending on the album, but I think right now I like performing "Style"; I love bringing my friends up on stage with me."

"What is your biggest support or inspiration?" Lacey inquired. This was always an interesting question to ask any artist, it was always the same but depending on the artist slightly different.

"My family mostly." Taylor answered, her eyes brightened, "My mom doesn't miss a show if she can help it; it's been that way since I was a kid."

After a few minutes Taylor turned the tables on her.

"What are you looking forward to tonight?"

 

"Style of course, but my favorite songs are "Blank Space" and "All You Had to Do Was Stay"."

Taylor smiled, and Lacey thought she had one of the most infectious smiles she had ever seen.

"I like those too."

Lacey anxiously shuffled her papers again giving Ellen, who had been sitting quietly in the corner a look.

"Now if you will excuse me I kind of have to pee… I don't think I can hold it for the next two hours."

To her surprise and slight embarrassment Taylor laughed.

"Okay, I'll let you go. I have to go get my makeup done anyway."

Lacey felt relieved (after being pointed in the direction of the bathroom by Jessica) as she exited the restroom. The backstage was a series of identical hallways which made them even harder to navigate particularly if you weren't familiar with the venue. As she made her way down the deserted hallway Ellen following behind her, she began to sing.

The first song that popped into her head was "All You Had to Do Was Stay" and she jumped into the hook, tapping a foot on her foot plate as she went.  
She was just rounding the corner, heading back to the VIP room when she nearly ran into Taylor who was coming the opposite way.

"Hey, you didn't tell me you could sing." She commented brightly.

Lacey flushed.

"You didn't ask." Lacey muttered, averting her eyes, feeling embarrassed.

"Why don't you come on stage tonight, you can help me sing "Blank Space".

"No, it's okay," Lacey stuttered, (and she normally wasn't a shy person) it be awkward and I don't even know if I can get my wheelchair up on stage."

"We can use the lift, I'm sure the tech guys can figure it out. I can ask before my warm-up tonight. I'll have security come find you."

"Okay… If you're sure…"

"Great!" Taylor said succinctly, looking excited. "Ms. Barkley, I will see you later." She hurried off in the opposite direction, disappearing at the end of the hallway.

"Can you believe it?" Ellen asked with a stunned expression, "You're going to sing on stage with Taylor Swift! Wait till Mallory hears about this!" As they walked back in the direction of the VIP room Lacey's PA pulled out her phone and rapidly began texting.

Lacey's mind was still spinning numbly as she made her way to her seat. She wasn't even sure how much she could enjoy the concert knowing she was going on stage later. Pressure much?

It was at the end of the first act before the security came and found her. She followed them backstage where the technicians were discussing how to get her wheelchair on stage.  
"Yeah, I think we can make that work." Said a burly guy in jeans and a fitted T-shirt. He had "roadie" written all over him.

From somewhere above her she heard the opening bars of "Blank Space" and Taylor singing, the sound sounded absurdly loud being right underneath the stage. After the first verse, she heard Taylor say:

"I want you all to meet a special friend of mine. We've been chatting the past couple of nights and I finally convinced her to join me on stage. Please welcome my friend Lacey Barkley!"

Then she was going up, up, up, up. The first thing she saw when the lift reached the top of the was the glare of bright lights and she had to blink a couple of times before everything cleared. Lacey could just make out a crowd and Taylor standing in the middle of an enormous catwalk.

She'd never been in front of this many people in her life, but what the heck, she only hoped Taylor wouldn't laugh at her too much if she messed up the lyrics.  
Carefully Lacey made her way to where Taylor was standing. The last thing she wanted to do was fall off the stage; that would be bad.

At first, she almost bumbled the lyric right then but Taylor picked it up and Lacey hit her stride as the chorus picked up. Suddenly there was something exhilarating about it and she wasn't nervous anymore; she was just back in her bedroom belting out the lyrics to one of her favorite songs.

As the last note faded away, Taylor leaned down to hug her and then they waved to the crowd, but Lacey was relieved when they exited the stage together. From now on, she thought, she would stick to blogging.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Story really picks up from here...

September 19, 2015  
I Sang with Taylor Swift!  
What an incredible night! Had another excellent backstage experience and concert with Taylor Swift.  
I hope this blog is a little bit more organized than my last recap on the 16th (I actually wrote things down this time). This is my conversation with Taylor Swift in a nutshell:  
Taylor loves performing (well duh, you say, if she didn't love performing she wouldn't be doing it for a living). Her favorite thing about performing is seeing the fans every night, singing with her friends (she has a lot of them) and performing and the fashion show during the song "Style". "Style" which is Taylor's favorite song to perform at the moment, the performance full of energy that you somehow can't help but be swept up in it. I found it only adds to the experience.  
Taylor spoke warmly about her mother, who it seems never misses a show. It seems even though her daughter has grown up (some of it in the public eye) her mother is a parent that never misses a chance to see her daughter perform, even though she may have heard or seen the songs performed hundreds of times. If you ask me, that deserves a nomination for mother of the year, at least in my book.  
I think the icing on the cake for the second show was being able to sing with Taylor. I was backstage when she came up to me and asked if I wanted to come on stage with her. After some hesitation I finally said yes, and trust me, it's an experience I will never forget. Afterwards, though, I was relieved to return to my seat (wheelchair cushion notwithstanding) I think this correspondent will stick to blogging.  
xx LB

Lacey closed her laptop with satisfaction. Her account of the concert the night before had just gone public. Despite her busy schedule she was keeping up with her workload.

"Did you just post?" Ellen asked from where she was digging out what looked like leftover pizza from the mini fridge. When had they ordered pizza?

"Yep!" Lacey answered with a grin.

"Great!" Ellen replied, "Can't wait to read it."

"Hey, when did you order pizza?" Lacey asked.

Mallory looked up from her own laptop in the opposite corner. She looked like a naughty secretary with her half moon glasses sliding partially down her nose, but attractive nonetheless.

"At about 1 AM this morning."

Lacey chuckled.

"That hungry, huh?" She asked.

"Starved!" Ellen replied while she continued shoving pizza into her mouth.

Mallory and Lacey looked at each other and burst out laughing.

By the time the show on Monday night rolled around Lacey was comfortable, after almost a week on the road she had gotten into a schedule (as much as you could while on the move.) This was hard particularly for someone who was disabled; she didn't travel well, even if she enjoyed where she was going and what she was doing.

"So what are you asking Taylor tonight?" Ellen asked while they waited for her turn to talk to Taylor.

"Her cats, I think," Lacey replied, "they seem very… interesting."

When Taylor came into the room she greeted Lacey with a hug and they started talking. 

"I really wanted to ask you about your cats." Lacey began, and even before she had finished speaking she saw Taylor's face brightened.

"I love my cats," Taylor said, "but I miss them when I'm on tour."

"I can imagine." Lacey said sympathetically. "How did you end up with Scottish folds? They're very unusual cats, I think I've only seen them in breeders magazines."

"They're cute," Taylor replied, "and they have… personality."

"Everyone knows how you came up with their names, so you're a big fan of medical and crime dramas?"

Taylor smiled.

"You could say that. Meredith Gray and Olivia Benson are two of my favorite characters."

They spent the next few minutes discussing various medical and crime dramas, because Lacey essentially binged watched most of the shows on Hulu or Netflix--such was single life.

"So where you off to after this?" Taylor asked curiously.

"Back home… Until the boss calls. I never know where they're going to send me these days."

Taylor chuckled.

"I know the feeling."

The hitch in Lacey's plan presented itself a few hours later, in the form of an email from Elizabeth.

Demi Lovato Album Release

Dear Lacey,  
I need you to cover Demi Lovato's album release for her new album in New York City in three weeks. I hope this gives you enough time to get your priorities in order. Please report to the office the afternoon of October 15.  
More details to follow,  
Regards,  
Elizabeth Hurley

Lacey chewed her lip as she looked up from her laptop.

"Uh, Ellen? Looks like I have my next assignment."

Ellen looked up from the book she was reading.

"Where is it?" She asked.

"New York City." Lacey replied slowly, "They want me to cover Demi Lovato's album release."

"When is it?" Her personal assistant asked next.

"October 15 and 16th." Lacey answered.

Ellen made a face.

"Sorry, no can do, hun. I got a new client starting that day and I have to be back home, I can't go traipsing about the country whenever you need me okay?"

Lacey blew out a long breath. It looked like she was going to have to find someone else to travel with her and that was going to be easier said than done.

"Can you parents drive you, or fly with you?" Ellen asked.

Lacey shook her head.

"Not to New York, my mom would have a conniption."

"You can always call headquarters." Her personal assistant suggested.

"Headquarters" was Ellen in Lacey's nickname for the Department of Human Services office, and over the past few years it had kind of become a joke.

"I guess I'll have to." Lacey muttered.

"Maybe they can find someone to travel with you."

"I just don't need a personal assistant, I need a traveling companion; someone that can go wherever Nylon sends me."

"I'm sure they'll find you someone." Ellen said confidently, "but I don't think "following around a disabled entertainment blogger" is on anyone's resume; not that it can't be done."

"Yeah…" Lacey sighed, "not quite sure how headquarters is going to take that one."


	10. Chapter 10

To say her mother was unhappy about her next assignment would've been an understatement.

"New York? Why are they sending you to New York?"

"Well, it's for Demi Lovato's album release…"

"They do remember your disabled and can't run around wherever they want, right?"

Lacey made a face.

Finally her mother sighed, sensing defeat.

"Is Ellen going with you?"

"Not exactly…"

"Then who…? Your father and I aren't flying you to New York."

"I'm hiring a temporary personal assistant and traveling companion."

Her mother gave a wan smile.

"That's my girl, if you can manage that more power to you." She kissed Lacey's temple. "I love you."

Saying she was going to find a new personal assistant and actually finding someone who would be willing to do what she required were two separate things. The lady that ran the personal assistant branch of the human services department was an exactly keen on what she required.

"We provide in-home care not "traveling companions"." She said stiffly. "That's more than the 10 to 12 hours maximum you're allowed outside the home."

"I didn't go over with my last PA, this one will be no different. I'll keep track of the hours, I promise."

The voice on the other end of the line sighed.

"Well, I suppose… As long as you in the way of having them clock in and out."

"I can get another cell phone and register the number; that can be used for when I travel. I don't want to use my personal cell phone."

"I suppose that would work...Well let me know when you have the alternate phone number, we'll set it up then."

Lacey hung up, a plan already forming in her head.

She had bought a TracFone for twenty bucks. This was the phone the personal assistant would use while they was traveling, other than that, Lacey would use her home phone which was her primary call out line. Over the next three weeks, she registered the number with the home services office, then began the long process of finding an alternate personal assistant, which brought her total of PAs up to four, this included her mother who worked for her occasionally.

Most of the people she called from the list to the agency provided had no interest in taking a trip cross country and hung up after talking for five minutes. Finally, it came down to the last two names on the list. She had been told that Jasmine Wiltern was younger, so she started with her name first. The line rang several times before a voice finally answered.

"Hello, my name is Lacey Barkley, may I please speak to Jasmine?"

"This is Jasmine." The voice replied.

"Hi, my name is Lacey, and I'm looking for a new personal assistant, but I have some special requirements…"

"I can do pretty much anything you want," Jasmine replied, "I'm pretty flexible, you would be my only job."

"Well, it's a little bit more complicated than that." Lacey said slowly.

Slowly, Lacey explained what she needed and after she had finished there was silence on the other end of the line. Finally, Jasmine spoke, sounding slightly stunned.

"So let me get this straight, you want me to travel with you and help you on the road, is that right?"

"Yes."

"That actually sounds like fun, at least I get to see the world."

"So you'll do it?" Lacey asked anxiously.

"Sure." Jasmine replied.

"I don't have to leave until October 14, you can sign the paperwork anytime in the next three weeks."

They talked for a few more minutes agreeing to meet sometime in the next week. Even from talking to her just for a few minutes Lacey was eager to meet this young woman, she sounded interesting.

Jasmine arrived at Lacey's apartment the following Tuesday. She was about the age Lacey had expected, in her early to mid twenties and she seemed energetic. She was of average height (although anyone was tall to Lacey) she had dark hair and medium brown skin that hinted at Middle Eastern ancestry.

They talked, getting to know each other better as they filled out the paperwork, which always seemed to take much longer than Lacey intended.

"You ready for this?" Lacey asked.

Jasmine grinned, showing off perfectly white, straight teeth.

"As ready as I'll ever be, should be fun."

Lastly, Lacey gave Jasmine the TracFone and the number.

"This is the number for the call in and call out. I'll be using this when I travel so you can clock in and clock out at the beginning and end of each day. Other than that I'll be using my landline, but that shouldn't affect you much."

"No problem." Jasmine replied shoving the phone and paper into her purse. "I guess I'll see you on October 14 then."

The next few weeks were spent figuring out the particulars of getting to New York making sure the flights were booked and she would get there when she intended. Early the morning of the fourteenth she was still half asleep when she let Jasmine into the apartment.

"Good morning!" Jasmine said brightly.

"It be a better morning if I was actually awake!" Lacey grumbled. "This is the thing I hate about this job, the early hours on travel days… They're ridiculous!"

"Is there anything else that needs to be done before we leave? Jasmine asked, "You said in your text yesterday the flight doesn't leave until ten. It's a little bit before eight now."

"I need to finish packing, and then we need to get out of here." Lacey replied. "You're ready to go, aren't you?"

Jasmine nudged a duffel bag with one sneakered foot.

"Ready to go, tampons and all."

They arrived at the airport with ten minutes to spare; driven, courtesy of Lacey's mother, who seemed to like Jasmine much better than many of Lacey's other younger PAs.

"Go," her mother urged, once Lacey was in her wheelchair, "you don't want to miss your check in."

So they set off Jasmine with her duffel bag in one hand and Lacey's rolling suitcase in the other.

As they headed for the terminal Jasmine was still grinning.

"New York, here we come!"


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few notes:
> 
> Much of this story (originally written in 2015) was inspired by my desire to travel. As a disabled person that isn't always easy to play going to a place like New York or LA. This was my way to do that.
> 
> My OC Jasmine Wiltern wasn't really inspired by anyone in particular, but she was fun to write. Her last name "Wiltern" was inspired by of a venue Nick Jonas played in 2010.

The first view of New York Lacey saw was from the air. It looked like every postcard or photograph of New York she had ever seen; right down to the Statue of Liberty, welcoming in every visitor as it had for hundreds of years.

When they landed, it was the normal hustle and bustle of a big city airport and while Jasmine negotiated where they should go and who they needed to talk to Lacey continued looking around. Instead of hailing a cab, which would have been difficult at the best of times, they had both agreed to rent a car which would be a better option for someone in a wheelchair instead of taking public transportation. In Lacey's experience, being disabled and attempting to take public transportation was never convenient, no matter which city you were in.

Finally, after negotiating with the one cab they did have to take (the cabbie, although friendly, was still irritated things were taking so long) they arrived at the car rental and picked up the small van that the man at the dealership had suggested. Breathing a long sigh of relief, with Jasmine behind the wheel they made their way (slowly) to their hotel.

"That traffic was murder!" Jasmine exclaimed when they finally pulled up outside the hotel where their reservations were.

"Welcome to New York." Lacey replied dryly, "Most people walk or take cabs; it's not a big city for automobiles."

"Yeah, with the traffic I can see why." Jasmine muttered as she walked around the opposite side of the van to retrieve Lacey's wheelchair.

They spent the rest of their evening getting situated. They had a discussion about whether to order room service or go out and decided it didn't matter much and they pulled up restaurant listings on their phones searching for a place close enough to walk to. Finally they decided on a barbecue place a few blocks from the hotel.

"With the sidewalk traffic it's going to take ten minutes." Lacey said glancing at her watch. "You know everything with me takes longer."

Jasmine chuckled.

"So I'm learning."

A few hours later, comfortably full from several racks of ribs, Jasmine and Lacey left the restaurant. Afterwards, they returned to their hotel for a quiet evening in. Tomorrow was the big day, tomorrow morning Lacey would go to the Nylon office to get instruction about where she should be for the midnight release of Demi Lovato's album.

Her mind still buzzing, she finally settled down to sleep. Jasmine was still up, reading quietly, the soft glow from her bedside lamp the only light in the room. Finally, Jasmine set her book aside, smiled at Lacey, and reached to turn out the light.

"See you in the morning." She said.

Just then Lacey remembered something.

"Hey Jasmine?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you clock out?"

"Yeah, before we went to dinner."

Lacey nodded sleepily, settling her head against her pillow.

"Okay… Night."

"Night…" Jasmine murmured.

After what seemed like an eternity, Lacey fell asleep with droning sounds of the city issuing from the streets below.

Lacey got up shortly after seven the next morning. She wasn't due at the Nylon office until after lunch so she had plenty of time to eat and get ready. She decided to take a shower, which by itself would take her an hour.

Jasmine was grinning as she clocked in.

"Guess I'm getting an early start today."

After Jasmine and Lacey were both showered and dressed, they went down for breakfast and not a moment too soon, since the hotel stopped serving breakfast at 9 AM; they still had half an hour. After breakfast, they walked around. Their first stop was a nearby bakery down the block from where they had eaten the night before and they both had a pastry and a cup of coffee, which were much better than the dried, slightly stale pastries and mediocre coffee the hotel served.

After a second breakfast at the bakery they decided to do some sightseeing and pooled their money to go see one attraction that required an admission fee. Following this, their wallets were considerably lighter.

"I'm going to have to get out more money." Jasmine said with a wry smile.

"Yeah me too," Lacey replied, "at least for a quick cash," she gestured to her credit cards, "that's what plastic is for."

After spending their morning sightseeing and finding an ATM they returned to the hotel for a quick lunch. Lacey's appointment with Nylon wasn't until 1 PM, but it would take a while to get downtown.

If Lacey thought the area of Manhattan they were staying in was busy, it was nothing compared to the streets in and around the business districts, which seemed to be in a permanent traffic jam. Finally, Jasmine found a parking spot near the Nylon office and they started unloading. Ten minutes later, they were walking into the building, and after asking directions they were pointed towards the magazine's main office.

Walking up to the receptionist, Lacey gave her name. The receptionist, a pencil-like blond with a high ponytail and severe looking spectacles, nodded and reached for a phone, muttered something into it before turning back to Lacey.

"Ms. Hurley will see you now; third office on the right. Thank you."

The door of the office Lacey came to was slightly ajar and when she knocked and poked her head inside, the woman, who was sitting behind a sleek, mahogany desk looked up.

"Lacey Barkley?" The woman asked, as she rose from her desk and walked around to shake Lacey's hand. "Elizabeth Hurley." She shook Lacey's hand in a businesslike fashion.

Elizabeth Hurley was not what Lacey had expected. She was a short middle-aged woman pushing forty and her clean, straight brown hair was cut in a smart looking bob. Like the receptionist, she had severe looking glasses which gave areas of her face a slightly pinched look; she looked like an odd sort of caricature in which parts of her body were disproportionate to the rest of her.

Elizabeth looked her over.

"Well, you're not exactly what I expected, but I'll take what I get. You're good writer and that's what matters."

Lacey blinked at the complement. Certainly the first time she met her boss in person she had not expected to get such a complement.

"Thank you." Lacey stammered.

"Now, about tonight…"

Over the next half-hour, Elizabeth explained what she wanted in the same businesslike fashion, Lacey could tell she took her job very seriously.

"We got a videographer covering the event as well, but I still require a post or two, I got one other blogger covering the event beside you; someone local. Demi is supposed to do some promotion around midnight, so I'd get down to Times Square about quarter till." 

Lacey exited the office feeling slightly shellshocked.

"So," Jasmine said conversationally, "how do you plan on staying up till midnight? I know you're not exactly a night owl."

Lacey's jaw set in an expression of grim determination.

"We're going to need more coffee." She said firmly.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Much of this chapter is inspired by my meeting with Demi Lovato in 2014, when I met her during the Neon Lights tour.I also base this off of a lot of my celebrity meetings in general, while I'm not saying I get "special treatment" when you're in a wheelchair things are little bit different. I based it off the reality of a disabled person trying to get through a large crowd, which would definitely be an issue in a place like Times Square.

Jasmine made the coffee run late, Lacey noticed. She had clocked in at around 8 PM for a second shift to end when they both went to bed, which Lacey knew would be into the early hours of the morning. It was shortly before 11 PM and they had to be in Times Square in forty-five minutes.

"You ready to go?" Jasmine asked after the cups of coffee were down and everything had been disposed of.

Lacey shrugged.

"I guess so. As you observed earlier, I'm not exactly a night owl, but stay up for something special like this, work or no work."

Jasmine smiled.

"That's what I thought."

Times Square, although brightly lit is always was somewhat deserted. There was a small knot of fans milling around, but that was about it. Looking around, Lacey saw numerous cameras, but whether they were the videographer Elizabeth Hurley had mentioned, or unnamed paparazzi she wasn't sure.

Lacey stayed on the periphery of the crowd, close enough to see, but far enough away that she was out of the way of any jostling, over exuberant fans. For the time being she was making most of her notes and observations in her head, she would write them down later before she wrote her post. A short distance away, she saw a young man about her age; he was just leaning casually against a nearby barricade observing. From his attire she knew he wasn't law enforcement and figured he must be the other local blogger Elizabeth had mentioned.

Shortly before midnight, Lacey felt a shift in the energy and watched as a large black Escalade pulled up a few feet away. A large man who looked to be about six or seven feet tall exited the car and opened the side door and a few moments later out stepped Demi Lovato.

She was dressed in a simple tan peacoat, leggings and ankle boots befitting the cooling temperatures. It was casual for what she was doing but not as dressy as some of her other show attire.

Then the screams began, but considering the crowd was barely two dozen people it wasn't that loud.

Someone had put out something for Demi to stand on. Lacy knew Demi was barely taller than herself, give or take a few inches, but she could hold her presence like any good performer could, heels or no heels.

Then Demi raised her voice so the small crowd could hear.

"Thank you all for coming out and helping me celebrate the release of my new album Confident. Would you like it if I sang for you guys?"

The crowd cheered.

It was only then Lacey noticed the horns. Four musicians were standing in a small semicircle around Demi, each holding a brass instrument, which, a few moments later began playing the now familiar opening fanfare of "Confident".

Then Demi began to sing, her voice still audible even over the midnight buzz of New York City. As far as Lacey knew she wasn't miced, which gave her an idea of how powerful and strong Demi's voice had really become.

Bravo Demi. Lacey thought silently, not very many people could stand up at this time of night without being amplified and belt out a song. The thought made Lacey grin again. The craziest thing about the entire performance was the fans were singing along; just as loudly and just as exuberantly.

Finally Demi finished, and she hopped down from the small box and was about to leave (the Escalade still waiting somewhere outside the small knot of the crowd) when she saw Lacey. People (even celebrities) always seemed will to notice Lacey, but she supposed the wheelchair was a dead giveaway.

"Hey, what you doing all the way over here?" Demi asked, bending down so she was on eye level with Lacey.

Lacey shrugged awkwardly before replying.

"I'm a blogger, I work for Nylon Magazine they wanted me to cover this."

Demi's face brightened.

"Great! Can't wait to read it. I'll be sure to check it out. What's your name?"

"Lacey." Lacey replied, "Lacey Barkley."

"Well I'll be sure to look you up Lacey Barkley. Did you enjoy it?"

"It was amazing!" Lacey exclaimed, "I've never heard anybody sing like that! Usually when you sing outside without being amplified the sound just goes…" She made a gesture and a noise that made Demi giggle.

Demi shrugged.

"Well if you practice you can sing just about anywhere. My voice has really gotten stronger in the past few years."

Then Demi leaned down and hugged her.

"It was nice to meet you." She murmured in Lacey's ear, "glad you came out."

"Happy to." Lacey murmured back. Which really, she was.

Demi was about to say something else when her bodyguard tapped her on the shoulder and muttered something in her ear. Demi nodded before turning back to Lacey.

"Hey look, I got to go, but I will check out your blog, I promise." She leaned down and hugged Lacey again. Somewhere behind them, Lacey heard the bodyguard clear his throat a not-so-subtle signal to Demi to "hurry up". 

Lacey headed back to the coffee shop where she was meeting Jasmine. She couldn't wait to tell her personal assistant what had just happened. The night had by far exceeded her expectations.

By the time they returned to the hotel Lacey only then realized how tired she really was. It was shortly before 1 AM and she was ready to go to bed. She had decided she would write her blog post in the morning, given the late hour of the event Elizabeth had given the bloggers until Monday to turn in their posts for which Lacey was grateful.  
So she went to bed, the events of less than an hour before still dancing in her head.

October 16, 2015  
Midnight Madness!  
It is my opinion after last night more artists should be like Demi Lovato (not that I'm biased) who goes into Times Square at midnight (not that New York is in crazy enough) and sings for a crowd of twenty people without a microphone?

Well, Demi Lovato did.

She sang the title track from her new album (released today) with a horns section nonetheless. THAT was impressive considering brass instruments usually drowned out everything around them, including a human voice. This however, was not the case with Demi Lovato. Demi, can hold her own in almost any musical performance, and more often than not exceeds the expectations of those watching her, even those who have written her off as just another ex-Disney star. They have learned to respect her as an artist in her own right, which she most definitely deserves.

I also met Demi after her performance. She is the most genuine, down to earth person I have ever met. She is personable and is glad to stop and talk to any fan even if her security is hurrying her along. I also tend to find my wheelchair tends to be an asset when meeting celebrities (not that I'm bragging) but it tends to help, but for your average Joe I wouldn't recommend it.  
xx LB

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And yes, Demi did hug me twice when we met.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Usually don't post on Sundays unless I'm writing that day on something, but here's a chapter for you guys. This chapter takes place in the six-month lull between the launch of Confident in October 2015 and the start of the promo for the Future Now tour leading into 2016.

It had been a slow six months. For Lacey there were only the periodical small assignments and between December and January all she posted was her 2015 recap. With the concert season not really picking up until early spring or going into the summer, she had no big projects on the horizon for which she was grateful, but slightly disappointed.  
That all changed one day in late March when she got an unexpected phone call.

The phone call turned out to be from Elizabeth Hurley, who hardly ever called, but Lacey recognized the New York area code.

"I have a project I think you may be interested in." Her boss said, she sounded somewhat amused. "I need someone to go interview Nick Jonas about his new album coming out this summer. Just a simple piece a brief interview about the album and his upcoming tour Demi Lovato."

Lacey nodded absently even though she knew the other woman couldn't see her.

"I can do that. Do you need me to go to LA or…"

"I was thinking he could call you, I've already talked to his manager and it should be able to work."

Elizabeth continued.

"He's doing his press run next week how's March 29 for you?"

Lacey nodded again.

"That should work."

"Excellent!" She sounded unusually upbeat, "I'll tell his manager to give you a call."

Lacey hung up a few minutes later suddenly feeling very nervous.

The rest of the week passed without incident until Tuesday afternoon, when Nick was supposed to call. Before the call Lacey prepared, her phone nearby and a small notebook to take notes.

Around 2 o'clock her phone rang, listing an unknown number. Well, she thought, it's Nick Jonas there was no way his number (cell phone or otherwise) would be listed no matter where he was. Taking a deep breath she answered the call.

"Hello, this is Lacey Barkley." She put on her best professional voice.

"Hello, this is Nick Jonas." The familiar voice on the other end of the line replied.

Lacey smiled. "I've been expecting you."

Nick chuckled.

"So I've been told."

"So about this new album… How is this different from your first album."

Nick paused briefly before answering.

"I think… It's a progression. With this album I wanted to be as transparent as I could, more vulnerable. That's what I wanted to show through this music particularly with "Close"; the first single."

"Would you say that vulnerability inspired this album as a whole?"

"Yes, absolutely! I was almost done with the album, then I went through a break up and that changed entirely what the project was about."

"Word on the street is Jay-Z helped name the album."

Nick chuckled again. "In a way. I played the record for him and then he told me he didn't think the title I had picked encompassed the entire body of work. There was this song I wrote called "Unhinged" which I hoped would be the next single… It was already to go and then he asked me "how would you describe your year last year?" And I said, "last year was complicated". Then he just smiled and said, "that's it."

"Is it always hard being honest with people and putting yourself out there?"

"Sometimes, but I think, especially with this project in particular but that's when I get my best music and that's what people respond to."

"So about this tour with Demi Lovato… How did that come about?"

"Last year Demi and I looked at each other and said "if we're going to do this we have to do it now" we're both at great points in our careers but we're also friends and business partners and with the business side of things growing there's no better time than now."

Lacey had already planned not to ask Nick about his personal life, she had no intention of making her post trashy; she didn't work for a gossip site. She stuck to the facts and that was the type of writer and blogger she wanted to be.

"So what can we expect on this tour?" Lacey didn't elaborate any more than that, she already had planned on going on this tour herself and had her ticket since late last year.

"We don't want it to just be the two of us singing songs all night." Nick replied, "we want the entire show to be an experience for the fans; even down to the way the arena smells."

"The way it smells? Really?"

Lacey could hear the grin in his voice.

"Really, I'm not kidding."

"Not like dirty gym socks I hope."

Nick laughed, the type of laugh that rang through the phone lines; the type of laugh she didn't hear from him very often.

"No, no way! Not if I have anything to say about it."

Lacey was in such a good mood after her interview with Nick she started putting together her post right away, even though it wasn't due for another week. Unlike many of her previous posts she knew exactly how she was going to lay it out. This post, since it was a little bit different than her previous posts, in dialogue form and not just paragraphs stating her opinions on various topics, she took her time with it.

Several minutes later the draft read as follows:

March 27, 2016  
Getting 'Close' to Nick Jonas

An Interview by Lacey Barkley

It is a quiet afternoon when my phone rings. As expected, it is one Nick Jonas this blogger's number passed along by a very reliable manager. As a fan and as I have observed on numerous occasions Nick is relaxed and polite, which immediately puts me at ease and whatever nervousness I may have felt prior to the call has suddenly disappeared.

Lacey Barkley:  
I've been expecting you.

(Laughs)

Nick Jonas:  
So I've been told.

LB:  
So about this new album… How is this different from your first album."

(Pauses) NJ:  
I think… It's a progression, with this album I wanted to be as transparent as I could, more vulnerable. That's what I wanted to show through this music particularly with "Close"; the first single.

LB:  
Would you say that vulnerability inspired this album as a whole?

NJ:  
Yes, absolutely! I was almost done with the album, then I went through a break up and that changed entirely what the project was about.

LB:  
Word on the street is Jay-Z helped with that name the album.

NJ:  
(Laughs) In a way. I played the record for him and then he told me he didn't think the title I had picked encompassed the entire body of work. There was this song I wrote called "Unhinged" which I had hoped to be the next single… It was already to go, then he asked me, "how would you describe your year last year?" And I said, "last year was complicated". Then he just smiled and said, "that's it."

LB:  
Is it always hard being honest with people and putting yourself out there?

NJ:  
Sometimes, but I think, especially with this project in particular that's when I get my best music and that's what people respond to.

LB:  
So about this tour with Demi Lovato… How did that come about?

NJ:  
Last year Demi and I looked at each other and said "if we're going to do this we have to do it now" we're both at great points in our careers but we're also friends and business partners and with the business side of things growing there's no better time than now.

LB:  
So what can we expect on this tour?

NJ:  
We don't want it to just be the two of us singing songs all night, we want the entire show to be an experience for the fans; even down to the way of the arena smells.

LB:  
The way it smells? Really?

NJ:  
Really, I'm not kidding.

LB:  
Not like dirty gym socks I hope.

NJ: (Laughs)  
No, no way! Not if I have anything to say about it.

I enjoyed interviewing Nick Jonas. I think as he's grown as a person and an artist he's become a very interesting young man (cigars, golf and choice of IPA beers notwithstanding). I, like many of his fans look forward to listening to this new body of work, Last Year Was Complicated available June 10.  
xxLBxx

At the end of the post Lacey posted a link to the "Close" music video. Needless to say anyone reading the interview would want to check it out.


	14. Chapter 14

If there was one thing Lacey had learned from being a fan and being frequent on social media was if things were going to go downhill they tended to-fast! She was always surprised by how quickly the mood online could turn ugly, and if there was any drama-any at all-she tended to stay clear of it. That was how it was when the news broke in late April when Nick and Demi announced they would be pulling their North Carolina stops on the Future Now tour.

Well, Lacey thought, it would've been different if they had canceled the entire tour (some forty cities) there would've been an uproar and the Internet would have (theoretically) crashed. It would've been the Jonas Brothers canceling their 2013 tour all over again.

It was the reason that they canceled, however, that caught her attention. Not because of anything on their end, but has a way to protest. Like many musicians touring that year they were pulling out of their North Carolina stops to protest the recent law that forbid transgendered people from using the gender appropriate bathroom. It wasn't everyone doing this, but concerned people stepping up, whether it affected them or not.

With this in mind, Lacey sat down to write a blog post.

April 25, 2016  
In Regards to the Recent Cancellation of the "Future Now" North Carolina Shows  
I am writing this post for all those fans out there who are upset about the recent North Carolina cancellations. In many people's minds I think any cancellation (whatever the reason) some fans seem to take too personally, but I can understand this (been there done that).  
Before anyone gets upset, let me explain my feelings on concert\tour cancellations.  
1\. Consider why the artist (s) are canceling the show (s) in the first place  
I think Nick and Demi have a legitimate reason for wanting to cancel the shows. They want everyone (and they do mean everyone) to be able to attend their concerts as they have said so themselves. That being said, most artists have a good reason for canceling a show either due to illness or bad weather. In my book those are pretty good reasons. So why be upset? Do you want to get sick from an artist under the weather or, God forbid, get struck by lightning because of a thunderstorm? I for one don't want to do a life reenactment of Dorothy and Toto.  
2\. They are disappointed too  
They don't set out to make your life miserable they are doing what they think is best so things are better in the long run.   
3\. You will have other opportunities  
It may not seem like it now, but there will be other shows. You just have to be patient, by this time next year there will be more tours and more shows, maybe something even better than what's going on now.  
4\. It gives you more time to save [money] for something else  
Consider this the silver lining of a cancellation.  
5\. It's not the end of the world  
I know a lot of fans get upset about cancellations, but seriously, it's not the end of the world! First of all, there are a lot more serious things going on both here and in the world that are a lot more important and second of all when you get down to it it's just a concert, you will get over it. Come back to me whining when someone is dying or something like that. I guess it's one of my big pet peeves (no offense to any fans in particular) that fans get so bent out of shape about a tour or a few shows being canceled like it's the be all and end all. It's not. My best advice is to get a grip and move on.  
xxLBxx

After "venting her spleen" as it were Lacey was distracted by a "ping" from her phone, which turned out to be an email from Elizabeth, and judging by the subject line it was something important. From reading the first line of said email she knew it was her next assignment.

Skimming the email, she realized what it was correspondent sign up for an upcoming tour.

Dear blogging correspondents,  
We are looking for bloggers to cover the upcoming Selena Gomez Revival tour. Bloggers will be interviewing all of the performers and writing summaries accordingly.  
Please pick the dates you are interested in and reply back no later than April 29.  
Sincerely  
Elizabeth Hurley

Glancing through the tour dates, Lacey chose the closest one, a show in Chicago at the end of June. However, there was one more thing she had to do before confirming her participation.

She dialed a number. Her personal assistant, Jasmine, picked up after a few rings.

Jasmine was her normal cheerful self.

"Hey, Lacey, what's going on?"

"Just got my next assignment… You up for another road trip?"

Jasmine laughed.

"Sure! Where we going this time?"

A short time later Lacey posted an update on her personal blog.

Hey all,  
Lacey here. Just wanted to let all my followers know that my Nylon blog updates may be a little sporadic for a while I have assignments for several shows this summer including Selena Gomez's Revival tour, so if you're a fan don't miss it! I'll get things up as soon as I can, after all I have to get paid! LOL!  
I'll be reporting from Chicago on June 25, 2016. If there's anything else going on you'll be the first to know.:)  
Lacey


	15. Chapter 15

On the morning of May 23 Lacey woke up in a particularly good mood and she wasn't quite sure why. She was in such a good mood even Ellen had noticed.

"Well someone's in a good mood," she said with a chuckle, "are you sure you stayed up till ten last night?"

Lacey shrugged. She had stayed up late last night watching the 2016 Billboard Music Awards, which she had enjoyed considering Nick, Demi and Joe had all performed; just the kind of line up she wanted to see.

While Ellen made the food and washed the dishes Lacey started laying out her next blog post; a review of the Billboard Music Awards.

May 23, 2016  
What a Lineup!  
I promise this won't turn into a one-sided rant like my last review of an award show (see my rant on the VMAs here) but this was actually a good show with a decent lineup that wasn't focused on making a spectacle of itself (although award shows are known to do that). Overall, I enjoyed it.  
That being said, here are a few highlights.

Brittney Spears  
Overall, a good opener, but the crowd was so loud half the time you couldn't really hear her. I enjoyed seeing Nick Jonas and Demi Lovato rocking in the audience along with a few other celebrities. My only criticism of the performance is her on stage attire, I can do without the bikinis and leotards… Really, the woman has 2 children.  
*Still don't like "Slave for U" always thought the song was way too suggestive although it's not the worst.

Shawn Mendez  
Good performance. I liked how he switched between guitar and piano and I thought his staging was creative.

Justin Bieber  
In my opinion, it was not his best performance, and that is being said without being a fan. I've seen Justin perform better I felt like he lip-synched most of the time and only added a few things halfway through. The performance overall seems somewhat lazy like he was focusing more on his dancing, which is always entertaining to watch because he is a good dancer, rather than his singing. His staging seemed a bit overwhelming and didn't really flow with what he was doing because he was visible only half of the performance.

Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani  
It didn't really make much of an impression on me. I like Blake Shelton but I'm not a huge fan. I felt this performance focused too much on their relationship as a couple and not on the music. Gwen seemed a bit "stiff" like she was uncomfortable and didn't seem at ease with the performance. Maybe she was just nervous.

Nick Jonas\Demi Lovato  
An excellent performance from both of them. I really enjoyed Nick's performance and thought he and Tove Lo (duet of Nick's single "Close") did very well. The staging was creative and a choice of a mirror gave an interesting effect, like Nick was singing with himself. The kiss at the end of the performance was a surprise, but not really that weird considering it was a way of illustrating the ideas in the song.

I thought the staging to interlock Nick and Demi's performances with the swiveling stage was brilliant! It gave the audience a taste of what their tour will be like as they plan to interweave their set lists. I hadn't heard it Demi perform "Cool for the Summer" in months! By the time her album came out she had released a new single and it was approaching fall the time she last performed it; it was nice to hear it again.

DNCE  
Their performances are always a showstopper, every time I see them I am impressed, it's like they know how to bring down the house. Every performance they do is literally a big party! There were balloons everywhere and no one was sitting still. Typical DNCE. I was amused when Joe went into the crowd that the security guard seemed to have trouble keeping up with him, literally trying to hold onto the back of his jacket to keep him within arm's reach. Well in Joe's case that's easier said than done.  
I think my favorite description of "Cake by the Ocean" (the song they performed) was "the song that's been stuck in everyone's heads" a true statement even almost a year later.

A few other notes  
I think my favorite thing about the show was watching Nick and Demi hanging out in the audience. Demi was obviously there with her boyfriend Wilmer and it was funny to see Nick (once again) being the awkward third wheel. I think at this point, being friends with Wilmer and business partners and friends with Demi he doesn't really care. It's so cool to see them jamming to DNCE and I figured they know the music quite well by now considering Joe's band has parked it in the top 40 since last September.

Please check out the YouTube links below.  
xxLBxx


	16. Chapter 16

By the end of the second week in June the entire Jonas fandom was buzzing. Lacey, however expected nothing less. When an artist released a new album (or any new project for that matter) the fans were on it like bees on a comb. So yeah, that would be the only thing anyone would be talking about for the next 24 hours.

As far as Lacey knew, thanks to the usual scuttlebutt, Nick was in New York doing his expected press run, which meant it would be interviews out the ears for the next couple of weeks. This would most likely have her glued to YouTube for the foreseeable future, which she was perfectly happy with.

That morning there was plenty to blog about, so Lacey started her blog early, although she didn't plan on posting the entire thing until later that afternoon.

June 10, 2016  
Last Year Was Complicated: in Review and "Under You" Music Video

Good morning all, and what a morning it is!  
Would love to say I'm writing this from New York where Nick Jonas is currently busting his butt promoting his new album Last Year Was Complicated ( more commonly known as #LYWC), but sadly, I am not. I am home today, like the rest of you jamming to the new album and stalking Twitter for the latest buzz.  
Well here it is my review of the album. No doubt not the only one you will read this upcoming week.

Voodoo  
This song was definitely one of my favorites. I think it had some interesting components to it and as I expected of Nick, it's no slouch in the lyrics department.

Champagne Problems  
Again, one of my favorites. This song has been a favorite since it's early release a few weeks ago. It reminds me how much I love Nick's storytelling ability, because you're right there when he is breaking up and you know exactly (whether you want to or not) what happened.

Close  
Not my absolute favorite, but it's a good song. Definitely the right choice for the first radio single.

Touch  
I love the concept of this song and it has a great beat! To me, it says a guy wants a girl for more than just sex, that he appreciates their conversation and what she thinks. I think that's great.

Chainsaw  
I think this song is definitely one of Nick's masterpieces (though the entire album is good). This was one of the songs you can tell he really spilled his guts, and like Champagne Problems really tells what was going on in his head around the time he wrote it.

Bacon  
LOL! I think this song sells itself! I've lost track of how many times "bacon" has been hashtag on Twitter retweeted etc. etc. and that by itself made people talk about the song more. It was such a good idea for a song and the beat and melody are fantastic. It's just one of those great songs you want to blast in your car with the windows down. How many people have done that already?

Good Girls  
I love the vibe of this song. I don't really care for the style of music that Nick-based this off of, but it's still a good song. The song has a great message and I actually really like Big Sean's rap because it fits very nicely in that versus and isn't too jarring.

The Difference  
This is another one of my favorites (I can't pick just one). When I originally heard this song I almost thought 90's boy band, but now I see, based on what Nick said about the song, it's closer to maybe 80s? But who knows. Whatever, it's good I love the flow of the chorus; it's one of those songs that keeps my foot tapping the entire time I'm listening to it.

Don't Make Me Choose  
Another excellent song I think really showcases Nick's storytelling ability. This one kind of makes me sad to because he's asking the person not to make him choose between his career and her. I mean, who does that so he has to write a song about it later. It's sort of reminded me of his unreleased piece "Don't Say" or "Nothing Would Be Better" off of the last album.

Under You  
My definite favorite. I don't know why I like this song so much it's probably because of the beat and the catchiness of it. I think it was also the one song I connected to the most other than Chainsaw (to see my reasons why see my personal blog)

Unhinged  
If there's one thing Nick Jonas does well, it's write ballads. This song is no exception. There's nothing like watching Nick sit down at a piano and spill his guts and one way or another. I can't wait to hear this song live; I'm going to bawl! This is also another song I think really gets you inside Nick's head and how conflicted he was around the time he wrote it.

Comfortable  
Not really a favorite but it's still a great piece. I love the spoken word in the bridge it really fits together well.  
...  
Under You music video  
This was one of my favorite music videos Nick has ever done. Okay, let's ignore the sex scene in the shower for a moment. I love the way they fit in the idea of the song into the imagery to (again) tell a story, but isn't that the idea of a good music video?

Let me say I really got a chuckle about the car they gave Nick to drive in this. James Bond, anyone? The end of the video was just a plus, not to mention Nick looks like he's a very good kisser:) I think the last few shots were just eye candy, because well Nick can pull off walking around without a shirt on and make it look good. I'm sure I will get no argument from any of you about that.

PS: Off to watch the Under You music video again, but I might need someone to come get me and pull my head out of the gutter.  
xxLBxx


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got totally sidetracked yesterday and forgot to update! Most likely updating two chapters today, one now and the other later this afternoon.

The morning of the Selena Gomez concert was sunny and clear, which provided ideal travel conditions for Lacey and Jasmine to travel. The morning was a typical "concert day" for Lacey, starting at 7 and double checking and triple checking she had everything she needed or would need. Instructions were yelled from opposite ends of the apartment as Jasmine tidied up and breakfast was consumed in a hurry before the two of them left the house for the day.

The trip to Chicago was uneventful except for Lacey teasing Jasmine about how often she checked the printouts of maps she had brought with her.

"It's not that far." Lacey teased, "we can't get that lost."

Jasmine gritted her teeth as she stared straight ahead.

"Want to bet?" Her personal assistant muttered, "and I'm driving your mother's car! You don't think I'm nervous?"

"Well with that attitude we'll end up somewhere in Kentucky." Lacey huffed.

Jasmine smirked.

"We're going the wrong way for Kentucky, more likely we'll end up in Canada."

After their back and forth banter both of the young women looked at each other and laughed and they continued on their way; their talk occasionally interspersed with songs from various Top 40 stations.

Finally, the traffic got heavier and the familiar Chicago skyscrapers caught Lacey's attention.

Jasmine glanced at the clock.

"What time do you have to be there?"

"4 PM." Lacey answered. "Earlier, if I hear otherwise."

Jasmine glanced at the papers on the console.

"Hotel it is I guess, better get checked in before we go anywhere else today."

Finally, after stopping for a bite to eat, they made their way to the venue. It was like many of the other arenas Lacey had been to over the years; something that could easily accommodate a concert or a sporting event. Today, Lacey's objective was to get the 4 1 1 on Joe Jonas's new band and at the moment she was glad there were other bloggers to interview Selena Gomez.

Lacey and the other bloggers were shuffled into a VIP room and told to "wait" while the band got ready. Lacey heard the band members before she saw any of them as laughter and loud voices carried down the hall; one of them, unmistakably Joe Jonas. Lacey could picture the middle Jonas brother perfectly in her mind, short dark hair, stubble along his jaw, thick eyebrows and surprisingly intense amber eyes.

"Ladies and gentlemen," she muttered under her breath, "DNCE is in the building." It was definitely going to be an interesting afternoon.

Saturday, June 25, 2016  
DNCE: A Nonstop Party

Some of you may be surprised I passed on the opportunity to interview Selena Gomez. I did this mostly for the fact I am not a humongous fan of her and I don't know that much about her. Yes I could do my homework and be prepared to interview her today, or any day of the week, but I chose to interview her opening act DNCE instead.

Someone could hear the members of DNCE (Cole, Jack,Jinjoo, and of course Joe Jonas) halfway down the hallway before they ever entered the room where the other bloggers and I were waiting. They are as you might expect, boisterous and flamboyant; something you may or may not gotten from Joe during his days when all anyone talked about were the Jonas Brothers.

Things don't slow down when the band enters the room. Their attire just as loud as they are. They are mostly wearing jeans and obnoxiously bright colors. Cole wearing only a vest on top, and I bet he and Jack will lose even that by the time the show is underway, but since when do rock stars not go shirtless from time to time. Jinjoo is a standout among the mostly male band. She is petite with streaked hair, large sunglasses and a strong Korean accent. She doesn't seem to mind being the only girl in the band and messes with the guys much like a little sister (as she tells me).

Joe seems upbeat and is enthusiastic about touring with Selena. He seems eager to take any opportunity he can with DNCE, but it seems the band's early and quick success hasn't gone to his head.

"We just take it as it comes and were eager to go along for the ride." He says with a grin. Cole, who plays bass for the band, nods in agreement.

"We'll keep making music as long as people will have us." Cole adds, as he throws an arm around Joe's shoulders and the two playfully wrestled for a few minutes.

"It's been such a blessing with the success of "Cake" and "Toothbrush" so I think we're good." Joe says his tone momentarily serious, but he still seems upbeat. "We're ready to take whatever else the world has to throw at us."

"Especially if it's cake!" Jinjoo quips.

The guys laugh and so do I.

"Yep," Joe adds with a bit of a laugh, "cake is good and I don't just mean the kind you can eat." He smirks and winks and we all laugh again and his reference to "Cake by the Ocean's" not-so-subtle innuendo.

You can check out DNCE on iTunes and Spotify, where they clearly continued to make an impression. "Cake by the Ocean" having since been certified double platinum.  
xxLBxx

Sometime, much later Lacey looks at her blog post in satisfaction. It was a good post despite the fact she had no concert recap. To enhance things she may have missed, she linked back to several other blogs at the end of her article; certainly there would be other bloggers to pick up where she had left off. It had been a good day and she was still smiling when she turned in for bed that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates to resume Monday, October 23.


	18. Chapter 18

Lacey took a much-needed break after Selena's concert. While she was still putting up daily blogs, they weren't as elaborate. She was making plans for Nick and Demi's upcoming tour, which judging from the hype was promising to be quite the affair. Nick and Demi seemed just as excited as the fans were if not more so, and even though Lacey wanted to go to more than one show she knew her bank account, despite being fatter than it had been a year ago, wouldn't support the habit.

Instead she made her peace with getting updates from Twitter and YouTube, which is what she usually did when she couldn't attend a concert in person.

"As if I thought this wasn't going to be insane enough…" She muttered as she scrolled through Twitter for what seemed like the thousandth time on Tuesday night, prior to the tour opening in Atlanta the following evening. To make things even better, Nick and Demi were streaming part of the opening night of the tour live. While it wasn't an entire show, it was better than nothing. At least there was a consolation prize for the fans whose tour dates had been canceled in North Carolina.  
As part of her preparation the following evening, Lacey took meticulous notes, which would be part of her blog later.

June 29, 2016  
Opening Night: Here We Go!

Hello, friends and fans,  
Thought I'd do a little piece on the opening night of the Future Now tour (despite not being there in person). Simply taking notes from Nick and Demi's little live stream they are doing on Tidal (thank you Jay-Z!) and writing down my thoughts and feelings.  
Nick opening

(I apologize in advance for the randomness of this)  
Yes, I know they didn't film the very beginning of the concert. I imagine the song they began with was the fifth or sixth one in. May I say I still love (although it is not my favorite) "Bacon" and I give Nick points for his introduction, great lead in.  
I loved the lighting of the entire stage and arena, it was dramatic, yet simple. I get so frustrated as a fan sometimes when the staging for a concert tour is very fussy and takes away from the music itself. Clearly, that was not Nick and Demi's intention. I liked how Nick went from one song to another without stopping, another frustrating thing about watching a show is the lag between numbers. I liked how you heard a little bit of Demi's music woven into the end of Nick's last number. I don't know if this was planned or not.

Demi opening  
She opened with "Confident" DUH!  
Again, I liked how she went from one song to another; the lighting with her staging in particular was brilliant and I liked how she started "Neon Lights" a cappella so you could really hear her vocals.

TI  
I am not a humongous fan of rap music period, but I do enjoy the occasional rap track within a good piece of pop music and I think this artist was a good fit for the tour. I also like how Nick and Demi are so versatile, while neither of them is a rap artist they both know how to work a good rap track and Nick has even written a couple;)

Stage Wardrobe  
Let me be the first to say I loved, loved, loved, Nick and Demi's wardrobe for this tour. Usually I don't pay that much attention to what an artist wears on stage, but I thought their designer did a fantastic job!  
Nick's wardrobe is about what you'd expect: jeans, various T-shirts and a jacket or two. I learned a long time ago that artists on stage layer so they can take clothes off as they need to and things need to be simple so they can be easily removed. I guess this is where the Velcro comes in!

Demi, on the other hand, I think was a bit more complicated, but what girl isn't? LOL! I feel like she has reached a new level with her stage wardrobe because all she seems to wear now are bodysuits, given even a few years ago she wouldn't show her butt, legs or arms. Pretty good for someone who is recovering from an eating disorder.  
Again, I love her wardrobe. Normally I don't go for women who wear sexy clothing, but there's something about how Demi carries herself while wearing such outfits that's just incredible! I think my favorite outfit of hers was a jumpsuit she wore after her opening, it was silver, sparkling and slinky and fit her perfectly. 

I had to laugh at the bodysuit she was wearing during her opening. I think the only thing anyone noticed when she turned around was her butt! HAHA! She definitely knows she's in shape and that she can pull it off and she doesn't look bad;) I mean the thing had her butt cheeks hanging out for crying out loud! I think even Nick noticed because I caught him staring at least once.

That was pretty much the live stream; it was only half an hour, which was just enough to give you an idea of what the show is going to be like. I seriously can't wait for my concert!  
Good night for now,  
xxLBxx

It wasn't until the following morning Lacey added more to her blog. After watching a few YouTube videos she began writing again.

June 30, 2016

More Concert Updates from Atlanta

Out of all the performances from last night I think my favorite was Nick and Demi's performance of "Stone Cold" it was just… Incredible. Or maybe, that isn't even a strong enough word.  
Demi can already sing her butt off with this song and she has already outdone herself with the music video and every performance she is ever given of it so far. I didn't think she could do any better… I was wrong.  
Aside from Demi's vocals the thing like got me about this performance was Nick performing with her and his reaction to her.  
I always like to think maybe Joe and Nick at some point both had a crush on Demi, and maybe this was true and maybe still is. I joke that they both always look at her like they worship the ground she walks on and this was certainly true of how Nick was while Demi was singing. Sometimes during the song Demi would do these really long vocal runs and Nick would stop playing altogether and just let her go. It was just awe-inspiring to watch him watch her. I don't even know how to describe (and that's a lot coming from a writer) how he looked at her. Like he can't even believe she sounds the way she does.  
I'll link the YouTube video of the performance below.  
xxLBxx

The rest of Lacey's commentary was confined to a series of short posts.

July 1, 2016  
Body Say  
Have you heard Demi's new single yet? If you haven't get on it! Many of you are calling it one of the best songs she has ever put out and I agree. I can't believe she wrote this only a few weeks ago! It's a shame it isn't available for download yet, it's a good song! Oh well, Spotify it is. Keep streaming people! The song's already doing so well!  
xxLBxx

Given the holiday weekend, Lacey didn't get up her next post until late Sunday morning. It was with a slightly more somber air than her previous posts and she took careful time with her words as she often did when writing about something more serious.

July 3, 2016

Orlando Tribute  
This post is on something a little bit more serious, but it was something I felt I had to write about given the videos of it have gone around YouTube and Twitter a couple of times by now.

Last night, Nick and Demi and singer Andra Day gave a beautiful tribute to the victims of the Orlando shootings. They sang a song called "Rise Up" which I hadn't heard until now. (Please don't tell me I've been living under a rock, thank you). It was absolutely gorgeous! The song was beautiful but I think the most touching thing about the tribute was the prayer one of the guys traveling with the tour gave before the song. Rarely do I hear people (artists or otherwise) pray during concerts, unless they are Christian concerts. I had never heard an audience of so many people get so quiet, but I think the fact that this was probably done before or after the encore had something to do with it.

I thought it was really sweet that Nick put an arm around Demi (and vice versa) during the prayer. It was such a familiar gesture and seemed very natural, though out of place given the context of the situation. I had to smile watching Demi bow her head, because again, it was a natural, familiar gesture but out of place at a mainstream concert.  
During "Rise Up", the screens were filled with the names of the dead from the Pulse nightclub shooting. It was sad that most of these men and women were my age or younger, I think the oldest person was about 10 years younger than my parents. 

At the very end of the list, which seemed endless, someone had added, "also in remembrance of: Christina Grimmie- 22". It made sense Nick and Demi would want to honor her, as a fellow musician that would have been important to them.  
xxLBxx


	19. Chapter 19

It was the first week in August before Lacey felt like she had updated anything.

Sorry peeps, she wrote on her Twitter, I feel like I haven't updated anything in ages, but I do have stuff coming I promise. T minus 48 hours to #futurenowtour! Big things coming!

To add to her already hectic schedule, she had gotten an email from Elizabeth asking her if she could interview Nick and Demi before the show. Naturally, she had said sure without really taking into account what she would be doing the afternoon before, but she was so excited she didn't really care.  
That was only the beginning.

The morning of the concert was a scramble as usual. Getting out the door was a process in and of itself; her mom's minivan packed from floor to ceiling with suitcases, in car essentials and food. Lacey was sure most of it would be gone by the time they arrived in Indianapolis.

They were halfway to Indianapolis when the traffic jam hit. Had Lacey been driving her expression would've been identical to the one Jasmine now wore.

"Great!" Jasmine grumbled.

"Well this is going to slow us down." Lacey said mildly in an effort to sound nonplussed, "So much for my exclusive."

After a lot of tinkering, and asking Siri several questions they were back on the freeway and once again on their way.

Anxiety pounded at Lacey's chest. She hated to let Elizabeth down and had sent her an email to the effect that she was stuck in traffic.

Get here no later quarter till 5. Her boss wrote back. That's the only grace period I can give you.

Even from that short reply Lacey knew Elizabeth meant business, and she wasn't going to take the leniency for granted.

Had Lacey been able to walk she would've been running by the time they arrived at the venue. The streets of the downtown area were packed as usual, but it would have been no different had the Indiana Pacers been playing that night instead not a couple of pop stars.

"This is about the time I wish I could run for it." Lacey muttered as they made their way through the double doors.

They made their way towards the security gate as soon as they entered the lobby. Lacey had already expected this as she had heard scuttlebutt on Twitter the security would be increased. She waited as security checked her bag and Jasmine's purse. Then they made their way to the nearby VIP table.

"You here for sound check or meet and greet?" One of the girls at the table asked.

Lacey shook her head and flashed her press badge.

"I'm here with Nylon Magazine, I'm supposed to be backstage, like now."

"Were you sent a lanyard?" Another girl with a radio on her hip asked.

Lacey shook her head, feeling stupid.

"Here." She tossed Lacey a lanyard with an image of Nick and Demi on it. Then she turned to Jasmine.

"You here with her?"

Jasmine nodded. "I'm her personal assistant."

"Here," she handed Jasmine another lanyard, "I'll take you back in a second."

A few minutes later, they were taking a large elevator down below the main level. Once off the elevator they were led down several seemingly deserted hallways. Past an entrance to the stage and down more winding cement hallways. Down another hallway, there were several closed doors. The door the security VIP stopped at was slightly ajar and Lacey could hear several voice she recognized.

The security, who said her name was Holly, knocked on the door.

"Demi, you expecting an interview?"

Demi Lovato looked up and as soon as she saw Lacey her face brightened.

"Yeah, I think so. You're that blogger right?"

Lacey nodded sheepishly.

She yelled to someone in the back of the room.

"Hey Nick! That blogger's here to do that piece on us!"

A few minutes later, Nick Jonas appeared. He was dressed in faded jeans, a T-shirt and a distressed suede jacket and smiled when he saw Lacey and Jasmine.

"Joe told me about you." Nick greeted, shaking her hand, "Said your blog was really good."

"He read it?" Lacey was surprised, she hadn't expected this.

"Yeah," Nick replied, "I saw your piece on our Orlando tribute, I really enjoyed it."

After making a few quick introductions, positioned herself opposite Nick and Demi and began going through her notes. She already knew this was going to be a fun interview and she hadn't even started writing it yet.

August 3, 2016  
Fun Times on the Future Now Tour

This interview is quite possibly my favorite assignment since I started writing for Nylon. I am a big fan of both Nick and and admire them for everything they do and stand for. I love how we could just talk and we talked about anything. Eventually I got around to asking them what they were looking forward to about the tour and the show in Indianapolis in particular. 

The best friends (and business partners) look at each other and share a smile, which makes you think there's more to their friendship then just that.

"The fans." Demi murmurs and Nick nods in agreement, a hint of a smile crossing his face.

"I just love getting out there," the hint of a smile has now expanded into a full-blown grin, "I love putting out new music for my fans."

This time it is Demi nods in agreement and talk turns to her new single "Body Say" and several jokes are made not all of them appropriate for this website.

"What's the weirdest thing you've gotten from a fan?" I asked even though I know it's a question that they have gotten a thousand times before.

Nick and Demi grinned at each other again before Demi gets up from the couch. At the moment she's just wearing comfortable looking pants and a T-shirt. A far cry from the sexy, elaborate outfits she wears on stage.

She walks over to her vanity and picks up a piece of paper which she thrusts into my hand.

I looked down at the paper she has just handed me. It is black, red and green and Zombie Turkeys is splashed across the front. There is a rough image of a hand turkey that gives the impression of a bloody handprint.

"Read the back!" She encourages and I turn the paper over skimming the text encompassing most of the back page.  
I'm grinning by the time I finish reading it.

"A fan gave me that," Demi explains, " her dad is coming out with a book in the fall. I love zombies so I can't wait to read it! It'll be perfect for Halloween!"  
I scribbled down a few notes on the notepad I always keep with me.

"Well I'll definitely check it out." I reply as I hand the paper back to her.

Needless to say I walked out of that interview with more than just a little information than I expected. I would make sure to definitely check the book out and possibly place a preorder. As a writer I was always looking for new and interesting books and something called Zombie Turkeys definitely fit the bill.  
xxLBxx

I had so much after the interview I could definitely do multiple posts. One post would be my interview with Nick and Demi and the other would be my concert recap.  
It was early the next morning before I started on my next post.

August 4, 2016  
One Crazy Night

The concert (as I expected) was incredible) yes I am slightly sleep deprived and I missed my dinner, but I wouldn't trade it for anything!  
Here's my recap of the concert:

Mike Posner  
He was much better live than I thought. I had heard snippets of his songs on Spotify but I didn't really listen to him that much. I mean, who hasn't heard I Took a Pill in Ibiza? I like that he closed the set with a long monologue of spoken word; it was a nice touch and rounded out the set nicely.  
After that was the intermission and I took a break before the main part of the concert started.

There isn't much to say about Nick and Demi during this concert. It was, what I expected a good show. I loved the selection of songs they chose and how they kept going back and forth. Demi's stage wardrobe is ridiculous (see my post on the Atlanta concert) and is just wow! If I had any feelings for a girl at all she would be it because she is incredible in so many ways and not just her body, although if she didn't believe in herself she wouldn't have that body in the first place.  
Love spending the night with two of my favorite musicians and hearing some of my favorite songs. "Bacon" and "Champagne Problems" are up there (I mean, they put a picture of bacon up on the screen during the song! Who does that?) Another one of my favorite songs from Nick is called "The Difference" it's just a really good jam and I love the chorus; he gets so into it!

Another highlight of the show is Nick and Demi performing Demi's song "Stone Cold" together with Nick on the piano, everything about it is just wonderful because it shows off the talent they both have and how versatile they are. The other song they performed together was Nick's song "Close" and I think you can really see how much they enjoyed performing together.

After that, Demi did four encores, but finally closed with "Cool for the Summer". She must have changed the lineup since she and Nick had discussed the set list, (the original closer was Chains\Confident) but that was almost 3 months ago.

Well I gotta go eat breakfast before my stomach eats itself!  
xxLBxx

Lacey ran a hand through her still damp hair. At least she had time to eat breakfast and wake up some more before they hit the road again. After this last assignment she only wondered what her next piece from Elizabeth would be.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter

One year later

June 27, 2017  
Happy One-Year Anniversary to Me and DNCE Tour

Wow, I can't believe it's been a year since I joined the Nylon team! It's funny how much can happen in a year, I've met so many celebrities (not that I'm bragging) and had so many incredible experiences!  
Where am I now you ask?  
I am currently waiting to board the tour bus with some of the other crew as DNCE begins there first headlining tour…

"Excuse me? Are you Lacey?"

Lacey looked up to see who had spoken to her and found a young man about her age looking down at her quizzically. He had a pleasant looking face and the deepest blue eyes she had ever seen! She wondered how he wasn't on stage performing and not just in the crew. Yes, he was that good-looking.

"I'm Lacey." She stammered, feeling caught off guard in more ways than one. "Lacey Barkley."

The young man looked down at a clipboard he was holding.

"Yeah… You can start boarding if you want. The bus is ready."

Lacey looked up at the line of buses waiting for artists and crew.

"Right…" Lacey replied as she scrambled to hand her laptop back to Jasmine without dropping everything that was currently on her lap. She adjusted her wheelchair and looked up at the guy standing in front of her. "Lead on!"

The young man seemed to be talking to himself more than her.

"You and your assistant will be on bus E. Management likes you so they didn't mind springing for an extra bus." He chuckled under his breath giving her a sideways smile which did funny things to her stomach.

"The driver will get you all hooked up and stuff." He chuckled again, this time sounding slightly nervous, "I'm kind of the grunge monkey around here, but that's one of the things I don't know how to do." He was about to walk off seemed to remember something else. "My name's Easton by the way."

Lacey extended her hand.

"Lacey Barkley, entertainment blogger and this is my personal assistant Jasmine Wiltern."

Easton nodded as he shook his tousled chestnut hair out of his eyes.

"Hey, Lacey if you need anything just let me know; I can even give you my number you need anything."

"Yeah that be great."

A few minutes later, Lacey watched Easton walk away from the open door of the bus. She wasn't even paying attention to the driver who was manipulating tiedowns and seatbelts.

"Miss Barkley, I think you have an admirer." Jasmine said in a singsong voice, and out of the corner of her eye Lacey saw her grin.

Lacey snorted.

"I think it's a bit too soon for that."

"Oh please!" Jasmine's tone was dismissive, "The boy could barely string two sentences together!"

"No one's ever been like that with me before." Lacey murmured. "Guys want exactly dropping everything to date me in high school."

"Well there's a first time for everything." Jasmine said conversationally as if this settled the matter.

Once she was settled on the bus, Lacey returned to her blog post. At least she could get some writing done while everyone else was loading up. That was the funny thing about writing, when she wrote it was like she forgot about everything, even the noise of the bus garage around her.

… Currently I am embedded with the tour; it's only a few months so I think I can handle it. Jasmine is with me (my personal assistant for those who don't know) so I think I'm good. This is a really great opportunity not very many bloggers end up being in this position usually they do a couple of shows and that it, but when I was given this opportunity I couldn't pass it up! I even have my own bus and everything, but that comes with the territory of being disabled. I've been told the manager actually likes me so I think that when a long way with their decision to let me come. I don't expect to get interviews with the band members quite yet, but there's time.  
Well, that's all for now. Hope to have more by the time we get to our first stop. My first interview with the band will be up later this week.  
xxLBxx

Lacey jumped at the sudden sound of hissing air brakes, and somewhere else in the garage another bus backfired, and somewhere off in the distance she could hear Joe talking to someone (presumably Cole or Jack) and laughing.

"You ready to get going?" The driver asked.

Lacey shrugged.

"As ready as I'll ever be." She replied.

The driver chuckled as he shut the lift door.

The drive to Chicago was like any other road trip. There were frequent stops for gas and munchies from everyone aboard the caravan of vehicles. Usually Lacey and Jasmine had to stop because even the bus bathroom was far from handicapped accessible.

From rehearsals in LA, they drove for a little over 24 hours. It was easily the longest trip Lacey had ever been on, that she was thankful that there were frequent stops or she never would've made it. She knew people had a schedule to meet but at least she wasn't on the same schedule.

She slept on the bunk when the bus stopped for the night and they were just outside Chicago when they stopped again.  
It was around that same time her cell phone dinged.

Starbucks run. Want anything?-Easton

Lacey grinned.

Tall iced mocha latte, do I get off the bus? Or can I have to send you?

You're in luck! I think we're stopping. See you there!

Lacey reflected it must've been strange seeing half a dozen buses pull into the already busy Starbucks. A few minutes later, everyone was getting off and Easton was running back and forth with a piece of paper, presumably taking orders.

Lacey followed Jasmine into the already crowded coffee shop. Ahead of her, Easton was placing orders.

"What you want Lacey?" He yelled over his shoulder.

"Tall mocha iced latte!" She yelled over the chatter and music.

Ten minutes later, Easton came to a nearby table and handed her the latte. "Let me get these out to the rest of the guys," he chuckled, "I only have so many hands." Lacey could see him doing a quick head count and she could tell he was trying to figure out how many hands to how many cups of coffee they were going to need.

Several minutes later, he came back inside holding his own coffee, his grin still in place.

"Garbo says we got 20 minutes, but I think the drivers are pushing for 15; they want to be in Chicago by 4 and depending on how traffic is…" He shrugged. Lacey shrugged in return, she didn't really know what to say to this.

"Not much of a first date, I guess." Easton mused.

"Yeah, the fact that we're in the middle of a tour kind of ruins it." Lacey replied, not missing a beat.

"Maybe we can do this again sometime, preferably on my day off."

Lacey smiled.

"I'd like that."

Later that night, after an already busy day, Lacey typed out a more personal blog entry before crawling into bed.

Wow, I don't believe it  
I'm pretty sure one of the roadies,, just asked me out! I don't know, maybe it was just my sleep deprived brain, but I'm pretty sure he did. He says he would love to go out for coffee or a meal some time when we don't have band and crew in toe. I don't want to make a prediction too soon, but I think I may have a boyfriend by the end of the tour;)  
Lacey

Lacey smiled at her laptop as she hit "Publish". Something about the entire experience was surreal, like she would wake up tomorrow morning and it would have all been a dream. As she settled into bed she wondered what Easton was doing now. Probably crashed on his bed like everyone else snoring like a chainsaw. (She wondered if he did snore like a chainsaw but decided she didn't know him well enough to ask). 

She would have almost two months of experiences before she returned home and she would definitely have more to write about when she did. Lacey was still grinning into her pillow as she fell asleep.


End file.
